We Deserve Freedom
by daphrose
Summary: My name is Aspen Summers, daughter of Bree Davenport Summers. Years ago a tyrannical despot known as The Sovereign rose to power. He is heartless, cruel, and oppressive. My mother and uncles lead a rebellion known as the Defiance and fight against him. Now, at fifteen, I'm finally old enough to help. I hereby promise myself to restore freedom to our world, no matter what the cost.
1. Chapter 1: Tight Security

**Greetings readers of Lab Rats fanfiction! Daphrose here with yet another story for y'all. I am extremely, **_**extremely **_**excited for this. I've been talking about it for weeks, if you've been paying attention. Originally I wasn't going to post this until closer to end of this month, but earlier I found myself saying, "You've already got eight and half chapters written up. Why keep the people waiting? You're **_**going **_**to post it." So . . . here I am!**

**For the record, I began this story right after 'Armed and Dangerous' aired and am posting it after 'Spike Fright.' If it contradicts **_**any **_**information from the remainder of season 3 or any of season 4, I apologize. I suppose this story will become AU someday. I was trying to post it before that could happen.**

**This story has been rated T for dystopian societies, maniacal rulers, torture, and character death. If Hunger Games would make you squirm, don't read this story.**

**I've decided that I'm going to do soundtracks for this story. Basically it'll be a song(s) that I think go well with the chapter. I'll recommend that you listen to them while reading. Check my profile for links to music videos for the songs. Just so you know, some of the songs may be Christian (since that's what I usually listen to), or I may repeat songs. Or a chapter might not have a song at all. We'll have to see what happens.**

**Chapter one soundtrack: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. Kind of an obvious one, but whatever. It works.**

**I'll not keep you waiting any longer. I do not own Lab Rats, just my OCs and this strange, futuristic world. This story is mine. Please do not copy it. Without further ado, I present to you all . . . We Deserve Freedom!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 1: Tight Security * * *<strong>

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><p>"I pledge to use my life, my work, and my education to better our society. My life I give to The Sovereign, our glorious leader; my work I give to my people, the backbone of civilization; my education I give to myself, for without knowledge I am nothing. May The Sovereign live long and may my life please him."<p>

I removed the two fingers that had been pressed right above my eyebrow for the salute. The other kids did the same. The voice over the speaker system leading us in the pledge had stopped. A small beeping noise sounded, signaling the end of another school day.

Kids scrambled for backpacks and rushed out the door. I carefully and leisurely slipped my Workcoms into my bag. I walked out of the classroom after waving goodbye to my teacher.

I took my time walking down the halls. Green lockers surrounded me. Several kids ranging in age from six to fifteen walked around. Posters for different school events hung on the walls. Everything was the same way it always was.

Once I was in front of my locker, I heard a few footsteps behind me. I turned and grinned. "Hey Jamie, hey Evelyn," I said as I took my final Workcoms out of my locker.

"Hi Aspen," Jamie said.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Evelyn asked. The three of us looked at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles. It was a joke between us, but an uncomfortable one for me. I always had to hide my nervousness around them.

The curfew for the city was eight o'clock sharp. Anyone caught outside after that time and until six in the morning would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. So it was not unusual to jokingly ask, "What are you doing tonight?" knowing that no one could actually do anything. Little did Jamie and Evelyn know that I _did _do something.

"So," Jamie said, her brown locks bouncing up and down as she talked, "you're turning fifteen in one week."

"Um, yeah," I replied. "Why are we talking about it?"

"Because you're _fifteen_," Evelyn said. Her green eyes bore into me and I shuffled my feet. "That's a big age. And you still haven't told us if you're going on to high school or not."

"I-I don't think so," I replied. _Keep it together, Aspen. You've been hiding this from them for years. Why do you still get so freaked out about it? It's business as usual. _"My mom doesn't really want me to. And I don't think I want to anyway."

"You're one of the smartest people here," Evelyn said, "if not _the _smartest. You should really consider it."

"I have," I assured her. "But I think I should use my smarts for the rest of the population, too. I'll find work, I'm sure."

"I'm going to Restwater High when I turn fifteen next month," Jamie told us. "Yup, that's right, I said Restwater. I'm going to the main city."

"Dangerous," I mumbled.

"Shh," Evelyn hissed at me. I bit my lip.

"I was kinda hoping you could come with me," the brunette said.

"Yeah, well, my family's not as rich as yours," I reminded her.

"I'm going to Lake Farmer High," my other friend said. "Not as prestigious, but they have a great sports program, plus they'll give me a higher education. Don't you want one, Aspen? It seems like you would _enjoy _five more years of school."

"And I probably would," I said. "But I can't. We just can't afford it." I couldn't tell them the truth. Okay, in my defense, that was _partially _the truth. My mom did not want to spend more money on school. I certainly didn't _need _it. But there was a lot more to it than that.

"Well, I'll really miss you guys," Jamie said.

"Same here," Evelyn agreed.

"At least we have Tatter, right?" I said with a half-hearted smile.

"Yes, but, but . . ." Evelyn frowned a bit and looked down at the floor. We all knew what she was trying to say.

"Hey, it's not any worse than here." I looked over at one of the many, many security cameras above our heads. Just a glance, so _they _wouldn't become suspicious.

"I guess you're right." Evelyn gulped. "I just don't . . ." For just a second her eyes flicked over to look at the camera. "Never mind."

"Well, I'll see you guys on Monday," I said.

"Bye," my friends called simultaneously.

I left the school building and started heading down the street. A quick glance at my watch assured me that I had enough time. It was only ten minutes after five.

The walk home was the same route I had been taking for nine years. In one week I would never have to take it again. That astounded me. It would be an incredible experience not to have to go to school. Even though I was _extremely _intelligent, school was not a place that I enjoyed much.

My mom would sometimes tell me stories from when she was a kid. She told me how you used to bring these things called _books _to school. I scoffed at the idea. Who wouldn't want a Workcom? It was a miniature computer with all the information you needed at your fingertips. Now that was much better. Even if they _were_ made by the government.

There were some things back then that seemed quite appealing, however. My mom would tell me how people went to classes based on age and something called grade, not by level of intelligence. Maybe that _wasn't _better; all I know is that I've been stuck with people several years older than me for a very long time.

Years ago there was elementary school, middle school, high school, and college, my mom said. Now there was pre-school for ages two to six, lower school for ages six to fifteen, and high school for ages fifteen to twenty. College was optional when my mom was a kid, so I guess high school is the equivalent of that; though you usually went to college when you were about eighteen.

My mom also told me how her every move was_ not_ captured on video and monitored by the government. Now _that _I would enjoy. Not having to look over your shoulder or constantly monitor what you say . . . that must have been wonderful!

Those days, however, were long gone. It all changed when The Sovereign conquered America and took his place as leader – or, at the very least, influencer – of the whole world. He was strict and oppressive, especially when it came to monitoring the activities of 'his people.'

As I looked down the street, I saw two police officers – one male, one female – walking down the road. I gulped and did everything I could to not draw attention to myself. There was another thing that had changed since my mom was a kid: she didn't have to deal with powerful, dangerous 'law enforcers' that would have you executed simply for looking them in the eye.

Finally I reached my house. I checked my watch again. It was almost five twenty-five. My mom should be home by now. Sure enough, when I opened the door I saw a woman standing in the kitchen.

"Hi mom," I said as I walked over to her.

"Hi sweetie," she said in a tired voice. She leaned over to kiss my head and her dirty blonde hair brushed my cheeks.

As she leaned back, I motioned to her head. "Are you going to . . . ?" I left my question unfinished.

"Not yet," Mom said gently. "You know not yet. Why don't you head up to your room? I'm going to take a nap."

I nodded silently and headed upstairs. I knew that Mom's job at the factory left her pretty exhausted. Plus she needed more energy for the nighttime. So she rested in the bit of time we had.

When I got to my room, I picked up a Playcom and opened up my Tatter app. Jamie was on, so I sent her a message.

_Hey, how are you? What's up? – TreeGirl_

My username came from the fact that my name is a kind of tree. A lot of people called me 'Tree Girl' when I was little, and the name sort of stuck.

_Nothing much. I'm just doing my homework. You? – Jamister114_

_ Same. So . . . – TreeGirl_

_ So? – Jamister114_

_ What do you want to talk about? – TreeGirl_

_ Hmm . . . did you ctch the premiere of _Tears and Fears _last night on the ABC Family site? – Jamister114_

_ Oh my gosh I mean 'catch,' I swear! I'm so, so sorry! – Jamister114_

We both knew Jamie wasn't apologizing to me. She was apologizing to the government goons who read our messages. One little grammar mistake could get you into trouble at school for a month.

_That's all right. I know what you meant. No, I didn't see it. – TreeGirl_

I didn't like any 'entertainment' our society put out. It was all controlled by The Sovereign anyway. His rules, his programs, his subtle brainwashing. For the most part, I stayed away from movie theaters and the websites that aired shows and everything else.

_Oh, I have to go. Mom needs my help with dinner. See you on Monday! – Jamister114_

_ See you. – TreeGirl_

I went around the home page of Tatter, seeing what was new. Mostly it was just a few notices from friends who had something they felt they needed to share with the world.

Down the side of the screen there were a few news indicators. I never clicked on those. Every time I did, I only came away from it depressed. Our world was so messed up. Besides that, the media operated under the thumb of The Sovereign. They were his pawns, and you would hardly ever find something truthful and unbiased on the news websites.

One of the news pictures caught my eye. "Robbery Thwarted by Bionic Army . . ." It trailed off in an attempt to get me curious enough to click on it. Knowing the media, it was probably some article praising The Sovereign for 'saving us' and how we should 'thank him' for 'protecting' us.

I placed the Playcom face down on my bed sheets before scowling. The computers were another way The Sovereign 'monitored' his people. Computers were able to 'read' your facial expressions and respond, and any 'dangerous' emotions were reported to the Bionic Army. Once out of view of the camera, I was free to feel as mad as I wanted.

_Thank him? Right! _I mentally snorted as I thought about what the article would say. _Bionics belong in the hands of someone who can use them properly, for good things! The hands of someone like me. I don't use my super-intelligence to wreck havoc on society, do I? Those goons have no idea what they're doing. And that spineless leader of ours is just as bad._

Those were thoughts I would _never _say out loud. I could be killed for something like that. But everyone knew it was true. The Sovereign's Bionic Army was just a bunch of bullies – _powerful _bullies. On the surface, it looked like there was nothing we could do. But there _was _something we could do; something my mom did already. Something that I could be a part of very soon.

I glanced at the time displayed on the top of my Playcom. _5:46 PM, October 16, 2037_.

The next couple of hours went by pretty fast. I got dinner and messaged a few more friends on Tatter. I completed my homework and submitted it, making sure to get a few of the harder questions wrong so my teachers – and more importantly, the government agents who saw my grades – wouldn't suspect anything. My enhanced intelligence had to remain a secret.

At seven forty-five – fifteen minutes before curfew for the city – my mom came into my room. Her face had changed completely and I grinned. This was the _real _face of my mother. The curly, chocolate-brown hair we shared was once again flowing from her head. Grey hairs touched the roots of it, but she didn't seem to care. A spark was in her brown eyes. She was ready for the night.

"It's time?" I asked excitedly.

"Of course," she said with a smile.

I only got to do this two nights out of the week: Friday and Saturday night. Even so, it was still exciting to me. It was one of the few interesting things about my life.

We headed down to the basement. My mom flipped on a switch and walked over to one of the walls. She pressed one brick, then another, and then another. A small keypad appeared. Mom typed in a long sequence of numbers – about twenty-six digits. She pressed her hand against another pad that showed up. The wall pulled away, revealing a dimly lit tunnel.

The two of us walked down the tunnel for a ways. We went down a few flights of stairs as well. Finally we came to a solid steel wall. There was another keypad nearby. Mom typed in yet another sequence of numbers. A green light flashed around us suddenly.

"Authorizing Bree Allison Davenport Summers," an electronic voice said. "Authorizing Aspen Chasity Summers."

The wall slid back. My mom grabbed my hand and we ran quickly to the other side. The metal doors slammed shut behind us right after we got through.

I couldn't help but smile as I observed the sight before me. It was an elaborate lair with several people roaming about. Large holes in the walls opened up from the hall and led to different rooms where people were training. Staircases led to a balcony up above and lower levels below us.

"Bree! Bree!" a voice called. Mom and I turned to see a brunette man about my mom's age running down the stairs. He hopped over the rail and ran up to us with a grin on his face. "Bree! Aspen! Welcome, ladies, to Defiant Base 15671."

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><p><strong>And that was the first chapter of We Deserve Freedom! What did you think? Did you like it? A few questions:<strong>

**1. Where did Aspen's middle name come from? (Kinda obvious, but still . . .)**

**2. Who was that man at the end? (This one might not be as obvious as you think.)**

**Quick note on Bree's middle name: ABC – Adam, Bree, Chase. Right? Adam's middle name is Charles. C. So I thought: 'What if they have that ABC pattern in their middle names, too?' Their initials would be: ACD, BAD, and CBD. So for Bree's middle name, I thought Allison sounded nice. Bree's middle name has never been mentioned on the show, and until it is I will call her Bree Allison Davenport in my stories. Okay? No 'But Bree's middle name is Justice!' comments, please.**

**So obviously there will be a lot of OCs in this story. It is the future, and I have a harder time writing adults. Aspen is my main character, and another one of my OCs will become very important later on. If that bugs you, don't read the story. If you're worried about pairings, here are the ships in this story: Leo x Janelle, Donald x Tasha, Bree x OC, and OC x OC (one OC is Aspen and the other is a boy you'll met later on). That last pairing will only be in a few chapters, and it will be **_**very **_**light. This is not a romance story by any means.**

**So anyway, how'd you like the story? Please review/follow/favorite if you did like it! I have eight and half chapters already typed up, so updates will be frequent! (By the way, for those of you who read Now More Than Ever, the next chapter will be coming out soon.) Please let me know what you thought, and I'll see you all soon! Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2: Base Sweet Base

**Hello again everyone! I'm back already! I finished chapter 9 of this story the other night and have already started chapter 10, so I thought I'd post chapter 2. Does that make any sense? All you need to know is that you're getting a new chapter!**

**Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad that you guys are liking the story. I had hoped you would. I haven't been this excited about a story since I posted the prologue of I'm a Weapon! It's going to be great.**

**Congrats to: PrincessSparkleKitty, PurpleNicole531, tennisgirl77, daphrose fan, and RissA15 for correctly guessing our 'mystery man.' Every single person who guessed got Aspen's middle name right. XD Kinda obvious, huh?**

**I forgot to do this last chapter, but it seriously needs to be done. Special thanks to some of my creative consultants on this story: Tie Dye Pencils, for listening to me ramble on for hours and hours and hours . . . honestly, folks, she's just the greatest. :3 Also, my dad, who does not have a fanfiction account (yet!). He's the one who suggested the name 'Defiance' and helped me create the future technology (since I suck at that stuff). Applause for them both!**

**Chapter two soundtrack: "Who We Are" by Switchfoot. Maybe I could've picked a better one, but I thought it went well. Don't forget: a link to the song will be posted on my profile beneath my 'future ideas' section. Be sure to check it out!**

**What are we waiting around for? Let's jump to 2037 and see what the future Davenports are up to! I don't own Lab Rats. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 2: Base Sweet Base * * *<strong>

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><p>"That's Defiant Base 1567<em>2<em>, Adam," my mom corrected the man.

"Whoops, my bad," he said with a goofy grin. "Hey, I was only one number off!"

Adam was my mom's older brother and that, of course, made him my uncle. He was goofy and fun and loud. Sometimes he was awfully immature for a middle-aged man, but that was part of his charm. He wasn't quite the brightest, but he was still great to be around.

"How are you ladies on this fine day?" Uncle Adam asked us. "Whoa, Aspen, have you grown since I last saw you?"

"You saw me last week," I pointed out. "I haven't grown an inch since then."

"So, half an inch?"

I chuckled, not quite sure whether he was being funny or if he was actually serious about his question. It was hard to tell with him sometimes.

"How are things going down here, Adam?" my mom asked him.

"Great, actually," Uncle Adam said. "We've had a couple of new recruits come in. Everyone's been training hard. We just sent out a team to Creekside. Things have been running like a well-oiled machine."

"Good to hear it."

"But, um, I do have a few things to discuss with you. In private?" My uncle sent a pointed look at me.

"Aw, come on, I'm old enough to handle it!" I protested.

"I'm sure you are, kiddo," Adam said, rubbing the top of my head. "But this is top-secret information for your mother and I _only_." He leaned over, pressed a hand to the side of his mouth, and whispered into my ear, "Spy-like stuff, you understand."

"Why don't you wander around for a bit, Aspen?" my mom suggested. "But don't get in anyone's way."

"Mo-om!" I whined.

"Aspen," she said harshly, sending me a glare over her shoulder.

Uncle Adam must have noticed the tension, because he said, "Leo's wandering around here somewhere. Mr. Davenport is down in his workshop. I know you like hanging out in there, Aspen. I think he'll let you watch him."

"Great," I mumbled. "Well, see you, then."

"We'll come find you when we're done," Uncle Adam assured me. "I can burn holes into glass with my heat vision for ya!"

"Sure!" I said with faux enthusiasm. That trick hadn't impressed me since I was five.

I wandered down the tunnel in one direction while my mom and uncle went another. I observed all the people training and felt a familiar desire well up within me. Ever since I was little, I had wanted to join the Defiance – the rebellion my mom and uncle led – and fight against The Sovereign. I hated him with everything inside me, and I grew up in this environment of rebellion. I couldn't wait to join them.

A large metal door soon came up on my right. I knocked on it a couple of times. "Come in!" a voice from the inside called. I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

"Hi Grandpa," I said as I walked in.

The figure on the other side of the room turned to look at me. He had a large metal mask covering his face. He tilted it up and grinned at me.

"Hey sugar," he said.

Grandpa Donald's hair was grey, but it was tinted black due to futile attempts to dye it. My mother claimed that it took a long time before 'he finally accepted his age.' Looking at him, I still didn't think he had completely.

"How was school?" Grandpa asked as he bustled around the lab. A hundred different scientific devices lay around and he seemed to take great pleasure in playing with them.

"Same as always," I said. I started to sit down on an object that looked like a chair, but my grandfather stopped me.

"Don't sit there!" he shouted suddenly, startling me.

"What? Why not?" I screamed as I shot up like a rocket.

"That was supposed to be a heat controlled couch," Grandpa said as he ran over and shooed me away from it. "Unfortunately I haven't gotten it to work right yet. That thing will boil you like a pot of spaghetti if you sit on it."

"Good to know," I said. "So, do you have anything that I could sit on that _won't _make me burst into flames?"

"Um . . ." Grandpa Donald said as he looked around his lab. "No." He shrugged sheepishly.

"Fine, I'll just stand."

Grandpa walked over to whatever he had been working on before. "So what were you saying about school?"

"Oh, just that nothing is changed. I have to pledge my life to a tyrant I hate. Same old, same old."

"Sorry about that. Well, you only have, what, a few weeks left?"

"One. One more week and I'm fifteen. Then I can finally join the Defiance!"

"So you won't be going to high school?"

"No. I don't want to go and be indoctrinated into their stupid system any more than I already have been. And I want to join you guys!"

Grandpa looked up and me and said quietly, "With your super-smarts, you could do really well. You could get a really good job; good enough to make a lot of money. Money that the Defiance could use. You could help us in that way."

"I know," I mumbled. "But I think I could also do well _fighting _here! I've considered all my options and . . . and I'm sure this is what I want to do."

"All right, if you're sure," he said with a shrug. "But as long as we're on the subject of your bionics . . ."

"Oh boy," I mumbled. Here we go again!

"How has your, ahem, 'sixth sense' been working for you?"

"It's working just fine."

"Let's test it," Grandpa said. "Close your eyes."

I obeyed. It was the least I could do for him.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

My bionics picked up the subtle motions of everything around me. I took deep breaths in concentration. I could 'see' everything going on around me, even without 'seeing.' My bionics gave me a 'picture' in my brain. The things that moved (in other words, my grandfather) were much clearer than the objects that remained still.

"Four," I said. "But it looks like there are three bottles on that shelf." I pointed across the room to a shelf I knew had eight bottles on it. "So that's not working quite as well. Still objects are blurry to me."

"Hmm, we'll have to work on that," Grandpa Donald said. "You can open your eyes."

I opened my eyes to see him jotting something down on an old tablet. I chuckled quietly to myself. Grandpa sure did keep himself busy.

"Aspen, sweetie," he said, glancing up at me. "You know I love you, and I appreciate your work in here, but . . ."

"You need to be alone?"

"I have some projects that require my undivided attention," he told me.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand," I mumbled. "No one seems to want me around."

"Leo's around here somewhere," Grandpa said absentmindedly. "Maybe he'll have some errands for you."

"Yes, because Uncle Leo's errands are _so _fun."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm going."

I sighed as I walked out of the room. Everyone always carted me off to someone else. They saw me as a pest and a nuisance. I couldn't wait to officially join the Defiance and prove them wrong.

The halls were by no means empty. The Defiance didn't have a staggering amount of recruits, but it was a decent size. This was only one of the bases. Most of the other ones had been destroyed. There were several small outposts in other cities. But here in the small town of Brooks, a suburb of Restwater, was our largest base.

Uncle Adam and Mom were the leaders of the Defiance. Uncle Leo was one of our top generals. Grandpa Donald was our resident scientist who developed our technology. That was how we rolled.

I stopped to watch the training in one of the rooms. They were doing intense martial arts. A lot of them were sparring with each other. A few instructors walked around, telling the students what they were and weren't doing correctly.

None of the rest of the recruits were bionic. The only bionic ones were me, my mom, and my mom's brothers. Well, us and the bionic army The Sovereign was in control of, of course.

Some people thought The Sovereign himself was bionic. But no one really knew. There were lots of theories and legends surrounding our 'glorious leader,' but they were all unsubstantiated. He was a mystery, even to his own people.

I passed another one of the rooms and glanced in to see a bunch of people running laps around a small track. Others were sitting on the side and watching them. Two of those figures were ones that I knew well.

"Hey Uncle Leo!" I called cheerily as I ran over. My uncle turned to face me and flashed a weary grin. The young boy beside him turned as well.

"Hey little cuz," he said.

"Don't call me that, Tanner!" I spat. Tanner was Uncle Leo's son, and, by definition, my cousin, but in all honestly he was more like a brother to me. We teased and poked each other all the time, but we actually did love one another.

"How have you been, Aspen?" Uncle Leo asked, keeping one eye on me and the other on the trainees.

"Pretty good," I said. "My birthday's in one week."

"Aw, my little cousin is really growing up!" Tanner said, putting a hand on his chest. "Have you reached double digits yet?"

"I'm turning fifteen and you know it," I said through gritted teeth.

"You'll always be a baby to me."

"This coming from the seventeen year old who can't even grow a mustache."

"Hey, I _chose _to have clean-shaven lips."

"Uh-huh," I said, rolling my eyes.

Uncle Leo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Five minute water break, everyone!"

The recruits sighed and hurried over to the benches along the walls. They proceeded to chat with each other and guzzle their water.

My uncle turned to his son and said, "Tanner, can you go tell Marissa that we're not running a marathon here? She needs to stop wearing herself out so quickly."

"Sure thing, Dad," Tanner replied. "Be right back." He jogged over to the young girl who looked to be about my age.

"Marissa's new, and she's still learning all the rules," Uncle Leo explained. "But how have you been?"

"Okay." I shrugged. "I can't wait to join the Defiance!"

"I can't wait for that either. You'll be a tough, resilient fighter, just like your mom." He patted my shoulder and winked.

"For now, though, I have to deal with the fact that I don't really belong," I sighed. "Everyone keeps sending me off to other places. They don't seem to think that I can really do anything."

"I know the feeling," Uncle Leo said sadly. "You've just got to show them how wrong they are. Do something that blows them away. Trust me, they'll accept you. People are too quick to judge. Be patient, Aspen. Patience will always be the key."

"Thanks, Uncle Leo."

"Now, I really hate to do this, but we need to get back to our training," Uncle Leo said. "You can stay and watch if you want . . ."

"No, it's fine."

"Your grandma is in the kitchen, if you want to go visit her."

I started to smile. "Did she make cookies today?"

"No," my uncle told me. My face fell. "But I did hear something about freshly baked bread."

My smile returned. Grandma Tasha's bread was _amazing_. "Okay, I'll go see her. Bye, Uncle Leo!"

"Bye, Aspen!"

I sighed as I walked out the door. Shipped off again. But hey, at least Uncle Leo knew what it was like. He was technically my mom's step-brother, and so it had taken a little bit of time before they became quite as close. He would tell me stories of their childhood where – according to him – he was woefully misunderstood.

At least I knew that Grandma Tasha would never send me away. I found myself following my nose to the Defiance base's kitchen.

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><p><strong>Ta-da! Chapter two is done. And it is <strong>_**so **_**much better than the first draft. When I first wrote the chapter, that part with Leo was much smaller, and Tanner wasn't in it at all. It took major editing before I got what you just read.**

**Aspen's 'sixth sense' is a bit like the Force from Star Wars. Yes, that's where I got it from. Hopefully I explained it well enough, but if there are any questions, just ask.**

**I imagine the Defiance base like Lake Laogai from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Look up a picture of it, if you want. Except I imagine the Defiance base to be a bit more well-lit, and the walls are made out of metal (mostly), not earth-bent rock. Does that make sense?**

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><p><strong>ungerlover: Thank you! Interesting guess. You'll find out what happened to Chase in chapter three, but I'm not giving anything away just yet. ;) Your random list of side characters made me laugh! Nah, just plain old Adam! Oh, that's funny! I had a friend named Alison growing up, and I always thought it was a pretty name. And your 'lame' joke made me laugh! Thank you so much!<strong>

**amichele: I'm glad I posted it now too! And aw, thank you! Your reviews always make me smile. I appreciate the support!**

**Tie Dye Pencils: *sits in the corner and laughs with you* And thanks! :3**

**RandomGirl: I know, right? I don't think either of us could've stood the wait! XD Haha, your Marcus guess made me laugh. Hooray for not thinking! According to one of the wikis, yes, her middle name is Justice. But it also says that her birthday is in February, which can't be right 'cause she's a Sagittarius (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21). I'm glad you like Allison. I thought it was nice. We should start a club. The WCH (Whipped Cream Haters). YEAH! :D Thanks for the review!**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Thanks for the review! Yup, it was Adam. :P Nice job!**

**PurpleNicole531: Going with Adam would be correct. Great job! And thanks for reviewing!**

**MoonlitShadowsoftheHumanSoul: Thank you very much. *bows***

**Tennisgirl77: Indeed it is. Nice job being the only one to guess it with one try! (Others got it, but they guessed multiple characters.) And I'm glad you like it!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Thanks for the review, even it was short! Mangos and coconut (hairy fruit) trees! Thanks for not saying anything. I appreciate it. ;)**

**daphrose fan: Yes, it is Adam. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**TheMichiganWriter: Well then that worked out, huh? And it's totally fine. I've taken longer to review your stories! If you want, you can PM me who you think The Sovereign is. He may or may not be someone you know. And I probably won't be able to tell you if you're correct or not. Thank you so much!**

**Lab Rats Lover: Yes it did!**

**Guest: Thanks for reviewing. Yes, it's from Chase, but this is not a Brase story. (I said last chapter that it was Bree x OC.) Also, by that logic, Tasha and Leo aren't related, because they were related in the parallel universe. I think Adam, Bree, and Chase are siblings, so I don't write Brase. Sorry. But I'm glad you like it!**

**RissA15: Wow, you're right, it is! I had to look up Fridays in the year 2037. I felt so weird searching for 'September 2037' (then going to October) online. Eh, I've done weirder. Adam – No one. Chase – You'll see. Douglas – You'll see. Perry – She's not in this story. Sorry. XD Like I said to TheMichiganWriter, you may or **_**may not **_**know who The Sovereign is. Haha, you're really desperate for some evil Chase, aren't you? I've been planning a few stories with him, so be on the lookout for those. :3 And thanks for reviewing!**

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><p><strong>I'm so glad you're reading this story! (If you're still reading it.) I appreciate y'all. I hope you like this chapter, even if it wasn't my best. Reviews are always appreciated, and, no matter how long it takes or how tedious it gets, I will be replying to them this story! Which makes for really long author's notes, but who cares? You get a special look inside the mind of daphrose. :3 It's dangerous, and few ever return . . .<strong>

**In short, thanks for reading! See you on Chapter 3: Heavy Losses. Bye!**


	3. Chapter 3: Heavy Losses

**Hello lovelies! I'm back! Whew, it's been a while. 'Um, daphrose, you just posted yesterday.' Hmm? Oh, it seems I did! Well, you see, I finished chapter 10 last night, and since I'm still seven chapters ahead of my readers, I thought you deserved a new one. Are you mad? 'No, not at all! Carry on, then!'**

**You all seemed to have noticed the absence of a few particular characters. Well, yes, there is a reason. A reason you will find out in this chapter. Only a few of you guessed it correctly, and . . . I don't think you'll like it.**

_**IMPORTANT:**_** Please continue reading **_**all the way through the chapter **_**and **_**read the author's note at the end**_**. There are some things I need to explain before you get mad. So please, PLEASE keep reading until you've heard the whole story.**

**(Well, that's not ominous at all.)**

**Chapter three soundtrack: "Family" by TobyMac. I'm pretty sure it's actually about divorce, but whatever; it still fits well with this chapter.**

**There have been a lot of questions asked lately, and this chapter will answer many of them. That's one of the reasons I wanted to post it today. I don't own Lab Rats. Enjoy! Or try to . . .**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 3: Heavy Losses * * *<strong>

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><p>Walking through the thick double doors, I found myself in the kitchen. Just like all the other rooms in the base, it had been hollowed out from the rock around it. The various – and rather ancient – appliances were powered by a large, noisy generator in the corner.<p>

The smell of bread was gloriously overpowering. My super-intelligence reminded me that it was actually a mixture of ozone and alcohol that created the tantalizing aroma, but this was one of the few moments where I was content to be normal and just say, '_Ah, that smells nice._'

Standing over the stoves were two women. One had dark skin and graying hair. The other was tall with dark, curly hair. They bustled around, tossing things into pots and grabbing food out of cabinets.

"Hi Grandma Tasha, Aunt Janelle," I greeted them.

"Hi sweetie!" Grandma Tasha called to me.

"Hi Aspen," Aunt Janelle said in a strained voice.

"I heard something about bread?" I tried to say.

"Hold on just one second," my grandmother said. "Janelle, do you have the tomatoes?"

"Over there," Aunt Janelle said, pointing toward the sink the size of a bathtub. Grandma hurried over and scooped up the slices of red fruit, placing them into a big bowl of salad.

"I think that's enough for now," she said. "We can take a break."

Aunt Janelle threw her towel onto the counter and sighed. "I hate baking," she groaned.

"I've already told you a hundred times that if you don't want to help me, you don't have to."

"No, no," my aunt said, holding her hands up in the air. "I want to do my part in this rebellion. I just never thought _this _was what I would be when I grew up."

"You married my son; what did you expect?" my grandma said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I gave up on normal life a long time ago," Aunt Janelle said with a smile. "Speaking of Leo, I might go bring him some of this bread."

"I just saw him," I piped up. "He was busy training."

"Leo will stop for bread," Grandma assured me.

Aunt Janelle picked up a tray with several pieces of bread on it. "His whole team will love this. And Tanner likes it too. Thanks, Tasha. Bye, Aspen." My aunt left the kitchen, carefully balancing the tray on her hands with expert skill.

"So," Grandma Tasha said as she washed her hands in the mammoth sink, "how have you been, sweetheart?"

"That's always what everyone says first," I said with a small grin. "I'm just as fine as when I went to see Grandpa and Uncle Leo."

"In our family you can never tell," Grandma said with a sigh. "What have you been up to today?"

I shrugged. "Went to school and stuff, of course. Uncle Adam and Mom abandoned me once we got down here. They had 'spy stuff' to talk about, according to Uncle Adam."

"There are lots of secrets that go around here. Don't feel bad."

"I know. But I can't wait to be included! In one week I'll be fifteen. Then I can know _everything_!"

"Don't be so sure. I'm in the Defiance, and I still don't know everything."

"Yeah, but you're just the cook." When my grandmother put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows, I realized my mistake. "I mean, uh, you're an _amazing _cook, of course!" I corrected myself. "But . . . you know . . . you don't go out and _fight _and stuff."

Grandma Tasha laughed. "Yes, honey, I know what you mean. But be careful what you wish for. I know from experience that knowing secrets can be a dangerous thing." She stared at the wall to my right and seemed to space out for just a second. "Very dangerous," she murmured.

"I'm getting older; I can handle it."

"Your mother knows what's best," my grandmother admonished. "Trust what she says."

"Okay," I sighed. "Do you think they're done talking about their 'super-secret' stuff yet?"

"I wouldn't know. But here's an idea: why don't you let them know that the bread is done? Adam was very excited that I was making it. I can plate it while you get them."

"All right," I agreed. "See you in a few minutes, Grandma!"

"Bye, sweetie." Grandma Tasha got back to her work as I walked out of the kitchen into the main hall.

I headed into the dorm area. Here was where anyone who didn't have a home could stay. Grandpa Donald and Grandma Tasha lived down here, as did Uncle Leo, Aunt Janelle, and Tanner. My aunt and uncle had a home once, but the Bionic Army destroyed it, so they moved to the Defiance's dorms. Uncle Adam stayed here too. My mom had a room down here, but she lived in a house because I needed to go to school.

Uncle Adam's room was all the way at the end of the hall. The door was slightly ajar and I could tell that he and my mom were inside. I walked closer, but when I heard my name I froze and all thoughts of bread were forgotten.

"I know Aspen really wants to join the Defiance," my mom was saying. "But I . . . I just don't know."

"You raised her in this environment," my uncle replied. "She knows how it works."

"But what if something happens?"

"You don't know that it will."

"But what if it does?"

"And you call me unreasonable. Bree . . ."

"No, don't take that tone with me. I have good reason to be afraid. I've lost so much already! I've lost my father, I've lost my husband, and I've lost my brother! I can't lose my daughter too!" I could tell that my mom was close to tears.

There was a soft rustling sound. With my bionics I could see Uncle Adam wrapping Mom in his arms. He hushed her gently as he rocked her back and forth.

"I don't want her to die like Chase," my mom murmured. "My worst fear is that I'll lose her like I lost Chase. It would break my heart."

Chase. That wasn't a name we heard often in our household. It was pretty much taboo.

"But you have to let her try."

"But–"

"No, no buts, Bree. You have to trust me on this. Aspen needs a chance to try this on her own. She's a strong girl. She'll make it."

In a voice so quiet I could barely hear it, my mom replied, "We thought Chase was strong too. The Sovereign was stronger."

"Hello?" I whispered softly as I walked in. Uncle Adam and Mom turned to look at me. Slowly they let go of each other.

"Hi Aspen," my mom said, wiping the tears off her face.

"Were you talking about me?"

Uncle Adam and Mom looked at each other. My mom took a few steps towards me. "I know you wanted to join the Defiance, honey, but–" she began.

"No, I _am _joining the Defiance," I said harshly. "You can't stop me!"

"No, she can't," Uncle Adam added. "You can't, Bree." He looked back and forth between the two of us. "This looks like a mom-daughter moment. I'll leave you two alone." He left the room.

"Mom," I started.

"No, no, he's right," my mom sighed. "I can't stop you. If this is what you really want, then . . . fine. But you have to realize where I'm coming from, Aspen. All my life I've watched people around me die. I couldn't bear it if that happened to you."

"But what if I'm what the world needs?" I protested. "I could survive, and I could save the world! I won't die like Grandpa Douglas. I won't die like Dad. I won't die like . . . like Uncle Chase. Not that I really know how any of them died, anyway." I mumbled that last part.

Mom sat down on Uncle Adam's bed. She motioned for me to do the same. I did. I leaned my head onto her shoulder and she began to stroke my hair.

"You know how they died," she whispered in my ear.

"Tell me again," I murmured.

"You're asking me to relive the most painful moments of my life?"

"I'm asking you to teach me something. Tell me so that I can learn from their mistakes. I won't die like they did."

My mom sighed. "Your Grandpa Douglas died at the hands of his former partner because he was too stubborn to get out of the way." Grandpa Douglas had been my mom's real dad, though she grew up with Grandpa Donald. Douglas and Donald were also brothers. That part of the Davenport family history was very complicated. "His death saved our lives, though, because it bought us time to get out. He sacrificed himself for us, but when I look back on it, I don't think he had to. There were so many other things I – _we_ – could have done.

"Your father also died sacrificially." My father was Preston Summers. He and my mom met in college and they got married not long after The Sovereign rose into power. I didn't remember much of him; he died when I was only two. "Our base had been discovered by the bionics. They were invading and destroying the place, killing everyone in their way. You were so little . . . he put you into my arms and told me to super-speed out of there. I said I wouldn't leave him, but he told me to get out; if not for my life, then for yours. I did, and when I tried to go back to rescue him . . . it was too late." A tear slipped down my mom's cheek.

"And your Uncle Chase . . . honey, I don't know if I can . . ." Mom trailed off and buried her face in her hands.

"You always find him the hardest to talk about," I whispered.

Mom nodded numbly. "We were so close as kids." She stood up and walked across the room to Uncle Adam's dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out a picture frame. She walked back and handed it to me.

In the old photograph – so old it was actual paper instead of digital – were three teenagers. One was a teenage version Uncle Adam. He had short brown hair and that same goofy grin as he played with one of his hoodie strings. The female in the picture was my very own mother at age seventeen. She was smiling, but she looked a bit annoyed at the boys on either side of her. The third and final figure was one I had seen only in pictures. It was my Uncle Chase. He had spiky light-brown hair and a smile that had been captured mid-laugh. His hazel eyes were twinkling with an obvious joy for life.

"You know that your uncle was killed by The Sovereign," my mom whispered.

"Another reason I hate him," I growled.

"It was one of our first battles with The Sovereign. I didn't even see it coming. I should have, but it seemed so fast when it happened. Chase was struck down right in front of me and before I knew it, he was gone." More tears dripped out of my mom's eyes and fell onto the picture frame. "And a day hasn't gone by that I don't miss him. I'm sorry, Aspen."

"No, it's fine. I know you were close to him."

"We were locked in a basement together for fourteen years. I had to be close to him." Mom let out a weak, half-hearted chuckle.

"You must hate The Sovereign, then."

"Hate is a strong word. But . . . an appropriate one. That's one of the reasons Adam and I started the Defiance. We need to remove this crazy leader. I'm sure it's what Chase would want . . ."

"I'm sure too." My mom and I looked up to see Uncle Adam standing in the doorway. "And by the way, you're not the only one who misses him, Bree."

"I know," my mom murmured.

"I used to toss Chase around like a rag doll," Uncle Adam said with a small smile as he walked closer. "I miss that. It's been almost twenty years since I've thrown my little brother over the counter. And I used to joke that he would never be over six feet. But I never thought he'd be . . . six feet under." My uncle frowned sadly.

"How do you guys cope?" I asked quietly.

"One day at a time," my mom said.

"There's always something that reminds me of him," Uncle Adam said. "Every day. Whether it's a math problem or someone doing martial arts or . . . you. You remind me a lot of him, Aspen. You have the same amount of intelligence he did."

I noticed the use of the past tense form of 'do.' I suppose it would only make sense. It had been nineteen years since Chase had died (when he was only twenty years old). They had time to deal with – and accept – that he was gone. They had more important things to be concerned about now, which was exactly what my mom said next.

"But now we have to move forward with our lives," Mom said. She put aside the picture and turned to face me. "Now we have to deal with The Sovereign. He is our main concern. That's why we don't talk about Douglas or Preston or Chase much. We've learned to live in the here and now."

"In the here and now, you need my help," I pointed out. "Why are you focusing on the future; the things that _might _happen? Please Mom, let me join you guys. Let me help you."

"She's right," Adam said gently, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You know she's right, Bree."

My mom sighed. "Let me think about it. But . . . you are right. Both of you."

"Yes!" I cheered. I could translate that look in her eye. She would let me join.

"Haha, you said I was right!" Uncle Adam said triumphantly.

"Yeah, enjoy it," my mom said, rolling her eyes. "You know it won't happen again for a while."

We all chuckled together.

"You know, I almost forgot what I came in here for," I said suddenly. "Grandma Tasha wanted me to tell you that the bread is all done."

"Oh, awesome!" Uncle Adam cheered. "Tasha's bread is the best. Come on, let's go. All this sad talk about the past is depressing."

We stood up and left Adam's room. As we walked out, my mom clasped my hand. I smiled gently at her.

"I won't let you down," I whispered.

"I know you won't, honey," she replied. "I love you."

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><p><strong>So . . . some of you guessed it. I'm sorry. <strong>_**PLEASE READ:**_** I know how dangerous it is to write a story without Chase, but this is how the story went. From the very beginning, Chase didn't fit. From the very beginning, he was dead. I am really sorry; I know how many of you love him. But think about it: Chase is **_**my **_**favorite character, too. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary for the story. So please don't stop reading just because he's not in it. I'm asking you guys to trust me as a writer. Again, I'm sorry, but I know what I'm doing. I consider it a new challenge to write a Chase-less story.**

**This chapter also went through major revisions. Tasha's part was a LOT smaller (and, frankly, awful) and Janelle wasn't in it. Plus the end was bad. I'm still not super-proud of the end, but I didn't know what else to do. Hopefully it was still all right.**

**Fun fact: Bree's husband was _almost _going to be Owen. But then I changed it to an OC. Probably a good thing, since Jake showed up in Face Off (you don't know how _mad _I am that he doesn't have a name that ends in 'n'). Admittedly, that was not my favorite episode anyway. And an OC will fit no matter what happens in the cannon (especially since they met in college).**

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><p><strong>amichele: Aw, thanks! I know, ominous title, hmm? Definitely not my happiest one. But I'm glad you're liking the story!<strong>

**Dirtkid123 (from chapter 1): Um, yeah, it would be the second one. Sorry. :( You have to be fifteen years old to join the Defiance, which is why Aspen isn't a part of it yet. You'll find out more about that rule in the next chapter.**

**RandomGirl: Well here is more! Wikis can really bug me. Especially when it's a show like Lab Rats and a lot of **_**younger **_**kids watch it. There was something on S-1's page a while back that claimed she was an **_**android**_**. Um, yeah, no. Kenny, don't be mean to her! I'll sic my minions on you if you're not careful! Yes, God is indeed Sovereign ('cept He's good, of course XD). My friend (slash creative consultant) and I were at youth group and she saw the word 'Sovereign' in the Bible and was flipping out while showing it to me. XD You're not the only to think that! HFDSR! (Have Fun Doing Something Random!)**

**TheMichiganWriter: Still okay with it? Thanks for guessing! But, um, now you know the truth. :( Not a lot of people will be happy. Haha, tell your dog I said hi! Thanks!**

**That-girl-from-outer-space6: Nope, he's dead. Sorry 'bout that. :( Thanks for reviewing!**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: The Sovereign might not be anyone you know (or anyone with a name, at least . . . take that as you will). But good guess! I'm glad you like it!**

**ShyMusic: I **_**so **_**hate to tell you this, but, um, you're right with that first guess. :'( Please don't cry! Please! I'm sorry! But I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Please keep reading, even if Chase is dead!**

**PurpleNicole531: Yes she is! I'm glad you liked the humor. :P Adam, even at age forty, will still be Adam. XD Thanks!**

**LabGirl2001: Well, now you know. You didn't miss anything. Sorry. :( But thank you!**

**La pluie minuit****: Aw, thanks! I do that with fanfiction stories too. :P "Once I finished this worksheet, then I can read the new update!" XD But thank you so much! Here's your update!**

**Tie Dye Pencils: Thank you, good sir. *bows* We must find a real-life corner at church; there we can come up with a name for your Fanfiction corner!**

**RissA15: Maybe, maybe not. But now you know what happened to both of them. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! You're the one I'm most afraid of now that Chase isn't in it. :( Please keep reading! Yes, Perry exploded! XD I love that! Brilliant! You learned about Bree's husband in this chapter and, yes, Leo and Janelle are married (die-hard Janeleo shipper right here). Thank you! Yes, Adam will always be Adam. I've tried to make sure of that!**

**Guest: Thank you!**

**ungerlover: Nah, it's okay. I think I threw people off with the whole 'this one might not be as obvious' thing. There were lots of strange guesses. XD AW, THANK YOU! You made me smile so, so much! Thank you! Oh, Aspen didn't lie about it. You mean the bottles? I looked back, and whoops, I guess I could've explained that better. She actually saw the bottles when her eyes were open, so she **_**knew **_**there were eight, but her sixth sense made them blur together so it looked like there were three. Sorry if I confused you! Ha, that would be interesting. Um, remember your original idea about Chase? Yeah, you were right. I am so sorry! D'X I hope you're not mad! By the way, my dad was glad that you liked his idea. :P**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Well, now they know the answer. SHH! Don't give them ideas! And gee, thanks for ruining that chapter title for me. -_- I thought I had finally found one better than 'Just a Nuisance'! No, he will not. It's so weird for me to write a **_**truly **_**old Donald. O.o Thank you! I appreciate it! (Not the knife part, but the rest!) Spoilers soon; fine!**

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><p><strong>I hope you guys will still read the story. Please? *puppy-dog eyes* I know what I'm doing. Really, truly; I do! Thanks for all the reviewsfollows/favorites/views. They are incredibly appreciated! I will see you all in a few days for chapter four: Happy Birthday. Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4: Happy Birthday

**Today I sat down at my laptop and wrote three thousand words. O.o So now that chapter 11 is finished, I'm posting chapter 4! I'm on a roll, people! Am I moving too fast for you? I hope not!**

**I'm so glad that you guys are still giving this story a chance, even without Chase. I promise I'll make it up to you. This story is still going to be epic!**

**Quick note: I wrote this chapter before Face Off aired (didn't really like that episode, anyway). Bree uses a cybermask in this chapter, alongside her vocal manipulation . . . before I knew about the whole cybercloak thing. I didn't really feel like changing it later on. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I thought I'd let you know.**

**Chapter four soundtrack: "This Is Your Life" by Switchfoot. Of course I don't own any of the music I use for soundtracks; thought I'd throw that out there.**

**Don't really have much else to say, so let's get on with it! I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs and this crazy, messed up world. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 4: Happy Birthday * * *<strong>

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><p>I looked around at the grey hallways for the last time. It felt so good to be leaving Brooks Lower School. Farewell to heavy backpacks stuffed full of mini computers; farewell to long classes with people of my IQ; farewell to the daily pledges to The Sovereign, the ruler I hated.<p>

The schools went by ages. When you were fifteen – literally on your fifteenth birthday – you would have to leave lower school. Your options were to either go to a high school or get a job. Technically you could do neither and sit at home while your parents cared for you, but you were taxed to the extreme for doing that. _No one _did that.

There was one other choice, but I would never, ever consider it. When you turned fifteen, you could volunteer for The Sovereign's Bionic Army. A lot of people did it; the craving for powerful bionic abilities was too much to pass up. But I knew that there would be no satisfaction in that for me, only danger. I was already bionic, anyway.

My choice was to get a job. I had six months to find one, and I already knew where I would work: in the factory with my mom. They made clothing there. It wasn't the best working conditions, sure, but I knew they would hire me. I decided to hold off on applying for as long as I could without getting in trouble.

There was something else you could do when you turned fifteen: join the Defiance. They refused to let anyone younger join their ranks, but once you hit that magical age you could join their little 'army' and fight against the system.

"I guess this is it," Evelyn said to me as I packed up the final things from my locker.

"Yup," I sighed. "I'll miss you guys."

"We'll really miss you too, a lot," Jamie said. "You're a great friend. Even if you're _way _too jumpy sometimes."

I smiled. They had decided that nervousness was just part of my personality. They would never find out that it was because I was afraid I would blow the secret about the Defiance.

"We got you a little something," Evelyn said. She held out a small green box and placed it in my hands. I just stared at it.

"Come on, open it up!" Jamie said impatiently.

Slowly I lifted the lid. I gasped when I saw what was inside. "Oh my gosh, guys, I loved it," I said as I exhaled slowly. Inside the box was a beautiful gold necklace. It was shaped like a heart. In the top right corner it had the letters 'EG,' in the top left corner were the letters 'JA,' and in the bottom corner it said 'AS.'

"See, it's our initials!" Jamie pointed out. "'Jamie Anderson,' 'Evelyn Green,' and 'Aspen Summers.' It's to remind you that we'll be friends forever, even if we're really far away."

"Thank you, guys," I murmured. I slipped the necklace over my head and felt the cold metal fall against my neck. "I love it."

Jamie, Evelyn, and I had been friends since we first came to lower school a long time ago. Jamie and I were in a lot of the same classes together (we were always the two youngest in there). We met Evelyn in gym class; she picked us to be on her dodgeball team. We had been best friends from the start.

That was when I realized that I truly had to leave them. I wouldn't be able to go to school and learn and laugh and grow with them. They weren't going to the same school anyway, but that only mean that all three of us would be split up. No more after-school talks or fun activities together on the weekends. No more arguing with Jamie about scientific theories or getting mercilessly beat by Evelyn at basketball. I might never see them again.

Unless the Defiance won. I could see it now. If our rebellion was successful in overthrowing The Sovereign, we would finally be free. I could find Jamie and Evelyn and we could be together again. That would be incredible.

For now, however, I needed to say goodbye. I hugged my friends and smiled sadly at them.

"Don't ever forget us, kid," Evelyn said with a half-hearted grin.

"Yeah, and I'd better be reading about your amazing scientific discoveries in a few years," Jamie added.

"Hey, I expect big things from you guys, too," I told them. "And maybe we'll see each other again someday."

"One can only hope," Evelyn said sadly.

We said our final goodbyes. I shouldered my backpack and gave a small wave. I walked out of school for the final time and left my friends behind.

The walk home was unspectacular – not that I really expected anything to happen. I took in the sights for the last time. It was weird to know that on Monday I wouldn't be walking back this way again. Fifteen years old – my life would change significantly.

As I reached my home, I noticed some bionic policemen across the street. The Sovereign's bionics doubled as both policemen and the army. They were responsible for a lot of the direct tyranny on the people. Some people thought The Sovereign had a clever way of controlling them (something akin to mind-control, perhaps), but others just thought that the bionics were as evil and power-hunger as our leader himself.

I bit my lip and found myself struggling to get the key into the lock on my front door. Something about the bionics being so close made me nervous. I hoped they wouldn't come over.

Those hopes were dashed against the rocks when I sensed two people approaching behind me. I took a few deep breaths and turned around to face the bionics coming up to me.

Neither of them could've been more than twenty-five. One was a female and the other was a male. They both wore the black uniforms typical of the officers. The Bionic Army insignia sat on their right shoulders.

"Aspen Summers?" the female one said.

"Y-Yes?" I stammered.

"You're fifteen today," the male officer said. The way he said it was so direct that I didn't know how to respond.

"Y-Yes sir."

"The Sovereign likes knowing what young adults are going to do with their lives," she said.

"I was planning on getting a job." _Don't act like you don't know! _I thought bitterly. Surely they had seen the footage already. What was the point of asking me in person? Were they trying to see if I was lying?

"Why don't you let us inside?" he asked me. It was phrased like a question, but all three of us knew it was a command.

I turned and placed the key in the lock. My fingers shook as I turned it slowly and opened up the door. "Mom?" I called when we were inside. Then, to make sure she didn't say anything that would make the police suspicious, I added, "We have company!"

My mom entered the room with, to my relief, her cybermask on. She was wiping her hands on a dishtowel, which she dropped in shock when she saw our 'visitors.' She bowed her head a bit and looked away from them.

"How can I help the members of the Bionic Army?" she asked. Mom's voice was rough and scratchy, an effect she created with her bionic vocal manipulation.

"Mrs. Summers, your daughter turns fifteen today," the female officer said.

"Yes she does."

"We wanted to know what she'll be doing with her life."

"She was planning on getting a job. We still have six months to look for one, so I don't see why –"

"Silence," the man said, holding up his gloved hand. "We just wanted to remind you. The sooner she finds a job, the better. Be careful, and remember to find work that pleases our glorious Sovereign, because there are consequences if you do not. K-31?"

The female stretched out our hand, and without warning our couch burst into flames. I sucked in my breath and felt my mom grip my shoulder. The flames leapt and flickered before dying out as the officer lowered her hand. Our couch had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes.

"Have a nice day," he said curtly before walking out the door with his partner.

Mom and I stood there for a few seconds, staring in dismay at our couch. A piece of furniture wasn't that big a deal, but we both knew that very well could have been one of us. I was frozen with terror. The flames still burned bright in my memory. Subconsciously my breathing became quicker, but I got a hold of myself and managed to remain calm.

My mom walked slowly to the door as she let go of me. With a groan of anger, she slammed her hand into the wooden door. "I hope neither of them have super-hearing," she murmured. "But . . . urg!" My mom doesn't swear, but I knew that if she did I'd be learning a lot of new words right now. She was practically seething.

"I really don't like them," I mumbled.

"No one does, sweetie." My mom walked back over and carefully enveloped me in a hug. "Not the best fifteenth birthday present, huh?"

"Not by a long shot."

"Well, here's something that might make you feel better: Uncle Adam is taking you out to face the Trials tonight. If you can pass those, you can join the Defiance."

"Really?" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe it! My mom was really going to let me join the Defiance! "Wait a second, _I _have to take the Trials?"

"Honey, everyone does."

"But I thought the Trials were about finding out who you could trust. You know, weeding out the spies and the corrupt people who have no place in our group?"

"It's a requirement to join the Defiance. And it's not just about trust. It's about testing your endurance and stretching you to the limits. We have to make sure you're ready for the hard life a rebel leads."

"Well, okay then."

"Get plenty of rest. You have a long night ahead of you."

"Got it."

I headed back up to my room and got into my bed. I really tried to fall asleep, but it was hard with all the excitement coursing through my body. A part of me was scared, though. I knew that the Trials were an awfully hard thing to go through. Nonetheless, I couldn't wait. I was going to become a real rebel!

After many excited thoughts, I finally managed to fall fast asleep.

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><p>The computer listed out our full names. <em>Yeah, yeah, Chasity, named for my dead uncle. Come on, open up the doors! I'll finally join the Defiance. You'll be seeing a lot more of me.<em>

As if the computer had read my thoughts, it opened up the door. Mom and I rushed through as they closed quickly behind us. The normal bustle of a few dozen Defiance rebels was all around us. Mom led me to one of the training rooms. Uncle Adam was there, watching the young adults who were training.

"Adam!" my mom called him over.

Uncle Adam turned to face us. He grinned and strode over. "How's my favorite niece?" he asked. Then he quickly added, "And favorite sister, of course."

"I'm fifteen!" I said, not even bothering with the 'I'm-your-_only_-niece-and-she's-your-only-sister' speech.

"It's her birthday. Can you take her to the Trials?" my mom asked.

"Really?" Uncle Adam said, raising an eyebrow. "You want _her _to do the Trials?"

"That's what I said," I mumbled.

"It's a requirement to join the Defiance, Adam," my mom said boldly.

"Well okay," Uncle Adam said with a shrug. "Right this way."

We all headed out of the training room. Uncle Adam led us to a small, dark room. He shut the door once we were all inside and turned on a dim light bulb above us. The room had only a small table in the middle and a few shelves along the walls. The only objects on the shelves were small cardboard boxes.

Uncle Adam walked over and opened one of the boxes. He pulled out a small plastic cup and a tube that looked like it was filled with green liquid. He opened the tube and carefully poured the liquid into the cup.

"No one ever comes in here," my uncle said absentmindedly. "Usually I bring this to them. The only one who came in the room to do this was–"

My mom cleared her throat and I saw her raise her eyebrows slightly. Uncle Adam stopped abruptly. I squinted. What were they hiding? I decided not to push it . . . yet.

"Drink up," Uncle Adam said, handing me the cup.

"Mom said that if you ever ask me to taste anything, I should just run," I said warily as I took the cup from him.

"I'm here telling you to drink it too, Aspen," Mom said.

Slowly I raised the glass to my lips. I winced as I poured the hot liquid down my throat. It tasted like someone had mixed the sweat from a football player's gym clothes and several gallons of sour milk together in a toilet bowl. I coughed a few times and wrinkled my nose.

"No matter what happens, I love you, Aspen," Mom whispered.

"Um, what?" I asked. Those were foreboding words.

Uncle Adam took the cup from me and placed it on the table. "Whatever you do, don't panic," he admonished me. "That will only make it worse."

Oddly enough, that sentence alone made me start to panic. "W-Why?" I tried to say. I noticed how weak my voice sounded. "U-Uh, what's g-going . . . going on?" I gulped. Waves of nausea passed over me. My knees felt weak and suddenly I dropped to the floor.

"You'll be fine, sweetie," my mom reassured me. Her voice sounded very far away.

"Yeah, sure, believe that," my uncle scoffed.

Try as I might, I could not fight off the impending darkness. Slowly my body gave in. I closed my eyes and everything went black.

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><p><strong>So there was a bit of confusion with my . . . er . . . <strong>_**editors **_**on that last part. The drink was **_**supposed **_**to knock her out. It's the first stage of the Trials. And in case you're confused, the 'Trials' are a sort of initiation process to get into the Defiance. That's how they get rid of spies or people who don't really belong. You don't just waltz up to a hidden base and say, "Hi, I wanna be a rebel! :3" You'll find out exactly what the Trials are like in the next chapter.**

**Fun fact: Jamie and Evelyn were not in this story when I first created the idea. Eventually I added them in because I thought Aspen needed 'normal' friends.**

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><p><strong>That-girl-from-outer-space6: I agree. Sometimes it's nice to take a break from everyone's favorite geek. :3 Maree (Marcus x Bree)? Actually, that's one of the <strong>_**few **_**Lab Rats ships I'll support, but only under specific circumstances. As in, I could see Marcus using that as a way of manipulating Bree or something. Or in an AU. Thanks for reviewing!**

**tennisgirl77 (from chapters 2 and 3): Thanks! I'm glad you're okay with that. Haha, I honestly don't know where I come up with it! They just . . . pop into my brain. XD But thank you!**

**TheMichiganWriter: You are observant, young one. But only a Sith deals in absolu– whoops . . . heh . . . wrong script. Yeah, I get what you're poking at. Feel free to come up with any theory you want, but Chase **_**is **_**dead. Yeah, I'm hiding out down here. It's dark. DX Pop rocks and soda? N-No. I do NOT want to know. O.o Thank you!**

**BeautifulSupernova: Okay, good! I'm glad. Yeah, I don't always, but it does make it easier. Gives me lots of time to edit. Thanks!**

**ShyMusic: I'm sorry. :( I'm glad you're trusting me! Actually, that trailer was for War Torn, which is a different story that will be coming out sometime next year. But I'm glad you liked it! Haha, well, I'll keep that in mind. :P Thanks!**

**CatMaster: He certainly will be. Aw, thanks! And tell your cats I said thanks too! (And give them a big hug for me, 'cause I'm allergic and can't have one. D'X)**

**ungerlover: Making people smile is one of my favorite pastimes too! :D You've got quite a few of those lame jokes, huh? XD Yeah, I can be pretty bad at giving things away sometimes, especially when I'm replying to someone. I'm glad you trust me! I can promise that this story will still be great, even without him. Okay, note to self, puppy-dog-eyes don't work on Lauren. But you gave me a whole list of your weaknesses. You shouldn't have done that. *grins evilly* Thanks for reviewing!**

**RandomGirl: Yikes. Well, uh, thanks for not yelling at me. Yay, I'm special! :D I'll keep responding to your acronym, 'cause it's fun! Sovereign means all-powerful, and as a noun it means . . . well . . . all-powerful leader. I found it by searching for synonyms for dictator. :P And Kenny . . . *hundreds of minions amass behind me, all holding various weapons* We're coming for you. *lowers cool-looking glasses* HFDSR! And thanks for reading/reviewing!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Yes I have. Is that a problem? XD It's okay, you're forgiven. Though Tie Dye Pencils might not forgive you . . . she was quite angry last night . . . Anyway, yes, you don't have to keep secrets anymore. Congratulations. :) Haha, yeah, I have no life. That's why I update so often. :P Thanks for reviewing!**

**Tie Dye Pencils: HA! I **_**told **_**you I would someday. Yes, Chase is finally dead. Thankies! :D**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll glad you'll still read it! Thank you!**

**RissA15: Oh boy . . . Hockey. XD I am so, so sorry. That's just . . . just how it happened. The Sovereign killed him right from the start. I'm sorry! Don't kill me, though, or you won't get any more story, and there will be absolutely no possibility of me somehow resurrecting him the dead (I probably won't anyway . . . wait, why am I saying this to **_**you**_**?!). But I'm glad you'll still read it. Um . . . thanks for the – very scary – review?**

**PurpleNicole531: Yay, Stella's back! :D I'm kinda glad she's moved to your reviews. I'm glad you're not mad . . . maybe. Well, it seems you'll still be reading, so thanks for that! :D I appreciate it!**

**j. liz. 8: Ha, whoa, that's a wild guess if I ever heard one. XD Hey, maybe it's Marcus, maybe it's Krane, maybe it's AGENT GRAHAM! Who knows? Maybe it's no one at all. Bree will talk more about what happened to Chase. In chapter 12, I believe (which I haven't actually written yet, but that's what I have planned). You can satisfy your **_**twisted **_**desires then. :) Yes, go write instead of doing homework! Fellow procrastinator! :D Thanks for the review!**

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked this chapter! Perhaps not the most interesting, but it definitely explained some things. Also: CLIFFHANGER! :D YAY! Reviews are always appreciated, of course. (Hint, hint.) ;) Hopefully I'll be able to update in a few days or so. Keep your eyes peeled for chapter 5: Trial by Fire and Everything Else. Bye!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Trial by Fire

**Last night I turned on my six-year-old laptop to do some stuff. And it froze. I tried to restart it, but nothing was working. I was panicking all night because my 100-page document called "We Deserve Freedom" (which hadn't been backed up anywhere else) was on it. Luckily, my dad was able to work some of his computer magic and fix it this morning. All my files are now backed up so if something DOES happen, I won't lose my work. It's also booted to Mac now, so it looks different. Kinda cool. :) I have to figure it all out, though, so writing/posting might be a tad bit slow for the next few days.**

**Anyway, how've y'all been? I haven't finished chapter 12 yet, but I really wanted to post this today. So here you are! Fun fact: This is the longest title I've ever had for a chapter. Also, apparently the chapter titles have a character limit, so according to Fanfiction it will just be 'Trial by Fire.' The official title (according to _me_) is the one typed out below. This is also the longest chapter I've had yet! It's more intense than any so far, and it's packed full of action and peril. I hope you guys will like it!**

**My friend (who read this story before I posted) warned me that this might look like I took the idea from Divergent. I DIDN'T! I have never seen/read Divergent, so any similarities are **_**completely **_**coincidental. Just so y'all know.**

**Soundtrack for chapter five: "Awake and Alive" by Skillet. It took a little bit to choose the song I wanted, but I knew from the start that it would be a Skillet song. I picked this one. It's intense and quick, to go along with the chapter, so I really suggest listening to it while you read.**

**Anyway, on with the story! I don't own Lab Rats. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 5: Trial by Fire and Everything Else * * *<strong>

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><p>I woke up with a pounding headache. My groggy brain attempted to make sense of what was going on, but it was next to impossible. There was metal underneath me. That was about all I knew.<p>

Slowly I came to my senses. The world became less blurry and I was able to sit up. I glanced around. For a few seconds I wondered if I was dreaming.

All around me was a huge trench. It stretched out as far as the eye could see, ending only in pitch-blackness. I was on a sort of metal island in the middle of it. As I crept to the edge, I could make out no bottom in the ditch. Far down there was a bit of wispy fog, but nothing else.

"Great, you're awake."

I jumped at the sudden voice, glancing around quickly. It sounded almost like it had come from inside my head. "Who's there?" I shouted. I didn't see anyone else.

"It's Adam," the voice said. "Touch your ear."

I obeyed the voice claiming to be my uncle. I discovered a small earpiece in my ear and relaxed a bit. At least I wasn't crazy.

"So . . ." I said slowly, "this is the Trials?"

"Yup," Uncle Adam said through the device. "Now, listen to _all _of my instructions and everything will go just fine. Don't _ever _take the earpiece out. Do what I say and _hopefully _you'll survive this."

"Hopefully?" I repeated nervously.

"About seven out of ten people leave the Trials alive."

"What?"

"I could be wrong. I've always been bad with numbers."

"Uncle Adam!" I whined. I needed to know if he was joking. Suddenly this whole 'Trials' thing didn't seem quite as exciting.

"Okay, let's get started," my uncle continued. "Can you stand up yet?"

My body felt pretty weak, but I was able to push myself up into a standing position. I observed everything around me. The little 'island' appeared to be about ten feet by ten feet. I was standing in the middle of it. As long as I stayed where I was, I would be fine.

"I'm up," I said. "What next?"

"Walk forward."

I did so. I was still a few feet away from the edge of the platform. In front of me was nothing but empty space that seemed to go on forever.

"Walk forward more."

"Seriously?"

"To the edge of the platform, Aspen."

The edge got closer as I walked toward it. I forced myself to keep looking forward; there was a _very _steep drop just inches away from me.

"Walk forward again."

"Uh, Uncle Adam, there's nothing there," I said.

"I said walk forward."

"Uncle Adam!" I practically shrieked. "I'll die!"

"What did I tell you just a minute ago? You have to do _everything _I say! Now . . . walk _forward_!" I had never heard my uncle talk so . . . seriously. It was strange.

Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I slowly inched my foot forward. I opened my eyes when I realized that was I wasn't falling to my doom. As I glanced around, I realized that there was some kind of invisible bridge beneath my feet.

"What?" I murmured.

"It's narrow," Uncle Adam said. "Be very careful. Go slowly. Listen to what I say and don't second-guess me."

I nodded and then quickly wondered if he could see me. He probably could, but just in case the answer was no, I said, "Got it."

I inched along on the narrow, invisible bridge. _Don't look down, Aspen. Don't look down. _I'm not terribly afraid of heights, but I consider myself sane, so I have a healthy fear of them. Knowing that one misstep could lead to death was enough to get anyone's heart racing.

"Stop." The command came so suddenly that I almost fell forward. I obeyed and stood still. "Turn to your right."

"How much to the right?" I asked.

"Um . . ." Uncle Adam replied.

"Like, how many degrees?"

"The temperature has nothing to do with this, Aspen. Just turn to the right."

I sighed and turned ninety degrees to the right. "Like this?" I asked.

"Perfect. Keep going."

Putting one in front of the other, like I was learning to walk again, I inched forward. My nerves began to calm a bit as I went along. An odd sort of peace washed over me. Yes, I trusted my uncle.

As I began to rush a bit, feeling a new confidence swell through me, my foot turned just a few inches to the side. I realized that the edge of my boot was hanging off of whatever small, bridge-like thing this was. Gasping, I turned my foot back onto the 'solid ground.'

"Go slowly," Uncle Adam said again.

"What happens if I fall?"

"Then you'll be part of the three out of ten."

"You're really not helping here!" I snapped.

"Don't talk back. You're learning to rebel against The Sovereign, not me! Shut your trap and _keep walking_."

Reluctantly I obeyed. Uncle Adam was probably the sweetest person I knew. He was kind and understanding. He could be a bit dense, but he was still great. Adam was the 'fun uncle' every kid dreamed of having. But right now he sounded dangerous. The Trials were clearly a big deal to him. They were quickly becoming a big deal to me, too, considering my life now hung in the balance.

I continued walking forward for what seemed like an entirety. How long it really was, I don't know. Maybe a few minutes. Maybe a few hours. All I knew was that I had to keep moving forward.

After what seemed like forever, my uncle broke the silence by saying, "Now put your hands out."

There was nothing but pitch black in front of me. Nonetheless, I obeyed. To my shock, my hands touched a smooth surface. As I looked closer, I realized that there was a wall directly in front of me.

"Move your hands down just a little bit. That's it. There should be a little niche in the wall. Yes, that one. There are little niches every two feet. Climb down those."

My feet found the small, rectangular indents in the wall. I stuck my feet into them and groped around for another, higher one to put my hands into. I found it and got a good grip on the wall.

"Straight down?" I asked

"Straight down," came the reply.

I wondered exactly how far down this went. There was some kind of mist beneath me, but I couldn't see the floor. I wondered if there was one. The light above me was very dim and I could hardly see anything anyway. The 'island' was just a speck on the horizon now.

After several minutes of climbing down, I entered the dense fog. It didn't seem quite as thick anymore, but it was still enough to hinder one's vision. I couldn't see more than a few feet away, so I kept my gaze focused on the wall. I didn't want to slip.

"Stop."

The command came so suddenly that I nearly lost my grip. "Would you stop that?" I hissed. "You're going to kill me doing that!"

"Put your feet down slowly," Uncle Adam said, ignoring my previous comment. "And don't try to find another niche."

"You know, I'm surprised you actually know the word 'niche.'"

"Just step down, Aspen."

"Fine," I grumbled. Slowly sticking my foot out, I realized that there was ground beneath me. I gave a sigh of relief and stepped off the wall. I glanced around, wondering what came next. That was precisely what I asked my uncle.

"Well, next we-e-e . . ." There was a sudden pause in Uncle Adam's speech.

"What is it?" I asked, pressing a finger to my ear.

"C-C-Com-m-m-munications . . . j-just a s-sec– . . . A-A-Asp– . . . –ear-r-r-r me?"

"Uncle Adam?" I asked, moving around in an attempt to quiet the static. "Uncle Adam? What's going on?"

". . . O-Out of there . . . they-y-y . . . –spen!"

The static got louder and my uncle was cut out completely. I shouted his name a few more times, but it was no use. The earpiece had gone completely dead. A cold feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if this was part of my training or if it was – dare I say it – real.

My senses jumped into high alert when my bionics picked up an approaching subject. Correction, _two _subjects. Humans, it seemed. I still couldn't see them with my eyes, but my sixth sense 'saw' them perfectly.

"Aspen Summers," a cold voice said. It sounded like a male.

"Y-Yes?" I stammered. _Hmm, déjà vu._

The two came out of the fog where I could see them. My blood ran cold. The young adults were wearing the black hats and brown vests of the Bionic Army.

"You are powerful," the second bionic – a girl – said.

"What? I'm nothing special!" I protested. "Why are you guys here? Are you just part of the Trials?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid," the male growled.

"We're here to make you an offer," the female said. "Our army could use people like you. If you join us, we'll give you all the bionics abilities you want."

"First of all, that's humanely impossible," I pointed out. "The human body can only stand so much. Second, I'll never join you, Metal-Necks!" It was kind of self-insulting since _I _had a bionic chip in my neck, but hey, it was Defiance slang.

Having said all I wanted to, I made a mad dash for it. I ran blindly into the fog, hoping to lose them. They began shouting at each other and I could sense them approaching me. The girl must've had super-speed, because she was gaining at a pace way too quick for a normal human.

Without warning, several flames shot up from the floor and came inches away from my face. I yelped and backed up. Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I continued on as fast as I could.

"Gotcha!" a harsh voice said as something grabbed the back of my neck.

"Let me go!" I shouted, thrashing about wildly.

"I got her," the female said to her partner.

"Good," he said. Then he leaned down and looked me in the eye. "You really should join us, Aspen. The Bionic Army is powerful. The Sovereign is powerful. He would be pleased to have you on his team."

"I hate The Sovereign!" I growled. "And you can tell him I said that. I wouldn't join you in a million years! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a test I need to complete. And I . . . love . . . tests!"

I swung my arm out and hit the female in the stomach. She gasped and released me. Taking advantage of her dazed state, I charged away.

It only took a few seconds for her to recover and come after me, the boy not far behind. I continued to run blindly through the fog, hoping to come to something that would mean my ticket out of here.

Instead I only came to another large ditch, this one filled with water. It ran to the left and right as far as I could see, and it appeared to be several feet wide. I skidded to halt and looked down into the murky liquid. The bionics behind me were shouting, and that gave me the incentive I needed. I dove into the water.

The icy water stung my skin and made me gasp – not a good idea underwater. I cracked open my eyes and immediately regretted it. My eyes began to burn, but I held them open. I needed to see. There wasn't much _to _see, however; the water was too cloudy.

Two figures dove into the water behind me, according to my sixth sense. I paddled my arms and swam away from them. I realized how choppy the water was, almost like a real river. I could feel a current pushing me the way I didn't want to go: towards the bionics.

Pumping my arms like a madman, I attempted to swim against the current. Suddenly my left hand struck something hard and sharp. Pain spread through my palm and up my fingers. I grimaced when I saw the water around my hand turn red. Through the water I was able to see the large scratch across the palm of my hand, but I couldn't see what had caused it. I clenched my fist and kept going.

Within a few seconds my lungs were burning from lack of oxygen. I tried to push myself up to surface, but I found that the artificial current was keeping me down. Soon I started to become desperate. My arms flailed around wildly as I struggled to move upwards.

Finally I broke through the surface of the water, gasping in the sweet air. To my relief, I was only a few feet away from the edge of the 'river.' As I started to swim over, I heard a few splashes behind me. I turned to see the bionics surfacing and I began to swim faster.

By the time I reached the metal shore, my arms were tired from fighting the current. My hand felt like it was on fire. Still, I was able to pull myself up and begin a staggering run. I plunged into the dense fog as the bionics clambered out of the water behind me.

After several seconds I came to another wall. There was a small vent in the wall by my feet. For a split second I hesitated, but the shouts of the bionics behind me were enough to get me moving again. Getting on my hands and knees, I began to crawl through the tiny space. My right hand was in a tight fist in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but that didn't stop the pain as I pushed myself along.

The metal all around me was cold and I mechanically shivered. For some reason the voices behind me seemed to be getting quieter. Perhaps I had finally lost them. I still didn't stop, however.

All of a sudden I heard a creaking sound all around me. "That can't be good," I mumbled. I tried to crawl faster, but it didn't work. The metal beneath me caved and I fell flat on my stomach.

It took me a few seconds to recover. I lay on my stomach, still dazed from the fall. It's not at all like it looks on Internet shows. The wind was knocked out of me and I was struggling to bring air into my burning lungs.

After several seconds I was finally able to push myself up on my elbows. I coughed a few times and began to check for broken bones. I found none, but I would have some pretty nasty bruises come the next morning.

Finally I began to look at the room around me. It was _very _small and the walls were pure white. There didn't seem to be any way out. "Am I in heaven?" I muttered, pushing myself to my knees.

"Nope, not yet." I spun around to see who was speaking. I grinned when I saw that my Uncle Adam was standing there, looking down at me. "Good thing, too; we're gonna need you."

"Was that the Trials?" I asked weakly.

"Yes it was," Uncle Adam replied.

"The Bionic Army guys too?"

"What Bionic Army guys?" For a second I thought my uncle was just joking, but he genuinely looked confused. Then again, Uncle Adam could pull off an impressive confused face. I didn't know what to think, so I decided to change the subject.

"Did I pass?"

Uncle Adam walked closer. I started to get up, but he motioned for me to stay down. So I did. I remained there on one knee, kneeling before my uncle. My wet hair clung to my face and I was covering in debris from the caved ceiling. Blood leaked out from between my clenched fingers. None of that mattered right now.

"Repeat after me. I am a member of the Defiance."

Exhilaration swelled through me. "I am a member of the Defiance."

"I will stand up to The Sovereign and the Bionic Army."

"I will stand up to The Sovereign and the Bionic Army."

"I promise to look out for myself and members of the Defiance."

"I promise to look out for myself and members of the Defiance."

"But mostly, I promise to look out for others."

"But mostly, I promise to look out for others."

"I pledge to fight against the Bionic Army . . ."

"I pledge to fight against the Bionic Army . . ."

"To help those in need . . ."

"To help those in need . . ."

"And to restore freedom to those who deserve it."

"And to restore freedom to those who deserve it."

"I am a Defiant."

"I am a Defiant."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Uncle Adam smiling down at me. "Congratulations, soldier," he said. "You're in."

"Thank you so much!" I said as I stood up.

Uncle Adam's grin grew a bit wider and he handed me a small paper cup. Just from the stench I knew it was the same awful drink from earlier. I winkled my nose and accepted it.

"Before you do that," he said as I was about to take a drink, "you have to be taught one of the biggest rules of the Trials: you are not to speak about them ever again."

"Not even with other Defiants?" I asked.

"Not even with other Defiants. This is serious, Aspen. You could get in a lot of trouble for this. The Trials will remain a part of your memory, but you can never talk about what happened here."

"Got it."

"Good. Then go ahead and drink up!"

I raised the foul-smelling liquid to my mouth and downed it quickly. After a few attempts to make sure it didn't come right back out, I could feel the light-headedness begin to set in. Within a few seconds darkness surrounded again and I slipped to the floor.

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><p><strong>Intense enough for you? Boy, that was fun to write! And yay, Aspen's in! How cool is that? Now she'll really become a part of the rebellion.<strong>

**I thought it might be fun to ask you guys some questions. Feel free to answer them in reviews:**

**1.**_** Were **_**those bionic army guys real? Or just part of the Trials? Actors? Simulations? Honest-to-goodness soldiers trying to recruit Aspen? What's your theory? (I probably won't tell you if you're right or not.)**

**2. Would you have been part of the seven out of ten or the three out of ten (estimations)? Be honest, now!**

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><p><strong>PrincessSparkleKitty: Bree will talk more in-depth about Chase later on. You'll find out. KANGAROO! I love randomness. :) Thanks!<strong>

**Guest: Thank you, I appreciate it!**

**That-girl-from-outer-space6: Hey, hey now! I never said that The Sovereign is Krane. I mean, he **_**might **_**be, but I never said that! **_**I **_**know whether The Sovereign knows that Aspen and Bree are part of the rebellion. I know everything. ;) But it's safe to say that Bree would do **_**anything **_**to keep her daughter safe. Well, thanks to you and your best friend! Glad you guys like it!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Indeed she will! An interesting one, too. "I believe that butterflies will take over the world before robots and zombies even get a chance." – daphrose. Hey, as long as we're talking random! And I actually said that to CleverBot . . . BUT THANKS!**

**TheMichiganWriter: I know, right? O.o I've been trying to figure it out myself. I've had a few breakdowns these past couple of weeks. ("WHAT DID I DO TO CHASEY?!") Haha, um, no. :P Chapter 11 doesn't even have a cliffhanger. XD Alright, understood! Glad you're keeping up. Hmm, maybe I should've just let Adam use the club. WHU-TUNK! XD Thanks for reviewing!**

**ShyMusic: Yeah, my friend told me that before. I didn't get the idea from Divergent, I promise! Hey, it's fine. Totally something I would do too. :P Aw, thanks! Ha, I have so many ideas I want to **_**write**_**! XD I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you!**

**PurpleNicole531: No, Stella, future-Adam won't let you near the stuff. Trust me. The only ones allowed to use it are him and Mr. Davenport (even Bree can't). Besides, PurpleNicole531 is my friend! (Right?) I'm not letting you do that! Hey, a resurrected Chase! How old is he in your review? O.o ('Cause in this story he would've been 39. Y'know, if he . . . survived. *****sniffles*****) Thanks!**

**RandomGirl: Well, everyone has their own opinions! Embarrassment plus awkwardness plus electric shocks equals no for me. :( But I'm glad you enjoyed it, at least. Thanks for reviewing!**

**ungerlover: Haha, don't worry, I'm not that cruel. :P (Probably.) Aw, well, thank you! I'm very glad that you liked it! I can be a bit too critical of my work sometimes. I'm happy you thought it was good. :) Yes, yes, understood! O.o Don't turn my own creations on me! I'm begging you! Yes, life can be a pain. -_- Glad you could review now! Thanks! And here's your update!**

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><p><strong>So, what did you guys think? Were the action scenes okay? It was fun to write! This chapter was another one that went through a lot of editing. That whole part with Aspen in the water didn't happen in the original draft.<strong>

**Reviews are appreciated, but so is just reading. However, if you want to share your thoughts, click on that little box and type something! Hopefully you guys are liking the story so far. See you in a few days for Chapter 6: The Mentor and the Protégé. Bye-bye!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Mentor and the Protégé

**Hello again. I'm back. :3 So soon? Yes, so soon. I finished chapter 12. I wanted to post chapter 6. I'm waaaaaaaay too excited about this! XD Thanks for all the encouraging reviews, though! They are appreciated!**

**I'm pretty excited for you guys to read this chapter, because I introduce a new character. She'll be playing a major role from now on. And you learn a bit more about the Defiance and stuff. This chapter might be a bit slow-moving, I'll admit, but there are important things, so pay attention!**

**Chapter six soundtrack: "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot. Man, you guys must think I'm obsessed with that band or something. XD Three songs from them in six chapters. Hey, what can I say! They make good music.**

**So enjoy this chapter, and remember to pay attention! There might be a few important things in here. ;) I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 6: The Mentor and the Protégé * * *<strong>

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><p>When I woke up for the second time, I found myself on a rough but surprisingly comfortable mattress. A blanket had been pulled up to my shoulders. Slowly I cracked open my eyelids. The walls around me were a dark grey metal. I grinned slightly. I recognized that wall.<p>

I was back at the Defiance base. As I got a good look around, I realized that I was in the infirmary. There were several cots along the walls on either side. A few of them were occupied and nurses were taking care of the patients.

Slowly I managed to push myself up into a sitting position. The blanket slid down my body, but I didn't care. As I turned my head to my left, I realized that my mom was sitting on the cot beside me. She was tapping on an old tablet and mouthing something.

"Hey Mom," I whispered.

Mom glanced up. "Hi sweetie!" she said. She smiled and put down the ancient device. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, okay?" I replied. "Am I okay?"

"You survived," she said with a grin. "That counts for something."

I started to move the blanket off my body, but then I realized that there was a large bandage on my left hand. It wrapped around my fingers and across my palm. The white linen cloth felt a tad bit restricting, though warm.

"My little 'war wound,' hmm?" I said, lifting my hand a bit.

"Yeah, you got one nasty scratch," Mom said with a sympathetic chuckle.

"I know, I scratched it on . . . wait, I'm not allowed to tell you, am I?"

Mom shook her head. "I don't think Adam explained that to you very well, though. He never really does. You can never talk about what happened during the Trials; the kinds of challenges you faced. You can bring it up in conversation, and it's perfectly acceptable to say that it was hard. Everyone knows that. But you can't say what exactly happened to you in there."

"I don't even know where 'there' was. Do you?"

"Nope. Your Uncle Adam is in charge of that. Grandpa Donald helps out, too. The two of them are the only ones who know how it works."

That was pretty curious. I wondered where the Trials even were. Was it just one huge simulation? Or was it actually a place? I still didn't know if those bionics had been a real part of it or not. I supposed I would never know.

"What happens now?" I swung my legs over the side of the bed, ready to get up. I was already dressed in some of my clothes; not the same ones as before, clearly, considering these were clean.

"Now we begin your training," Mom replied as she stood up. "Do you feel well enough to stand and walk?"

Gingerly, I placed my feet onto the floor. To my surprise, they held my weight well. I took a few steps forward and smiled. "Back to normal," I reported.

"Great, then let's discuss your options," Mom said.

"What are my options?"

"Well, there's the tech team . . ."

I groaned. Of course my mom would try to hand me over to the tech team. "I don't want that!" I protested. "I want to go out there and fight The Sovereign in the real world!"

"Being on the tech team – especially with your intelligence – would be a big help to us. Fighting The Sovereign in the cyber world is just as important. The tech team hacks into The Sovereign's networks and that helps us a lot."

"Mom, my dream has always been to fight for the Defiance. I don't want to sit behind a desk all day. I can fight. Please, let me fight!"

My mom sighed. "I figured you'd say that," she said. "Come with me." We both headed out of the infirmary. The metal doors closed behind us, leaving the nurses to do their jobs.

Out in the hallway, several people were milling about. Some went through various doors or openings to get to where they wanted to be. In some places the doors had been left open, allowing the people in the hall to see what was going on in there. Most of the rooms had people training in them. The domed ceiling up above echoed the grunting and yelling that accompanied the hard work.

"The Defiance has squads that they send out," my mom said suddenly as we kept walking. "You know that. The squads usually consist of a couple people, anywhere from three to twelve. They go out in their groups and collect information or perform miniscule 'rebellious' acts to get us noticed. Your Uncle Leo leads one of these squads.

"We also have the loners, the spies, the mercenaries . . . whatever you want to call them. They work by themselves, but they answer to us. They gather intelligence, mostly.

"There is also, of course, the tech team. They fight The Sovereign through the computers. So much of the Internet has been blocked from the public view. Ideas of liberty or rebellion are censored. The tech team members are expert hackers, finding a way around all the security protocols and giving people the free information they deserve. They work on computers that are at least fifteen years old, since more modern ones will have the cameras that track their movements.

"But there's one more way you can be a part of the Defiance. One more part of training. We do this with a lot of our younger members, and I think it will be best for you. Some of the older members can sign up for a 'mentorship program' where they train a young student one-on-one. I think you should become a protégé: someone who learns under one of these mentors."

"So I'll have a mentor that will teach me everything I need to know?" I clarified.

"Exactly. Although . . . well . . ."

"What is it, Mom?"

"I know exactly who I want to put you with. The only problem is that she didn't officially sign up for the mentorship program. But sometimes we ask people to do it out of the blue, and that's what I plan to do with her."

"Do you think she'll accept?"

"If she wants to move up in her training, she has to. But Aspen . . . just be patient with her, okay? This is your chance to prove how mature you can really be."

I nodded. What was so bad about this girl that I needed to be patient and mature? Shouldn't she be the mature one?

My mom and I entered one of the training rooms. Some people were sparring with each other while instructors looked on. Those who weren't sparring on the mats were sitting on benches along the wall, drinking from water bottles or talking with friends.

"Scarlet!" my mom called.

A girl with shoulder-length black hair tied into a tight ponytail looked up at us. She stood up from the bench she was sitting on and walked over. "Yes, Mrs. Summers?" she asked coolly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Remember how we were talking a while back about you taking on a protégé?"

"Yes, and I told you I didn't want to."

"And I told you you'll need to if you ever want to move up in your training."

"So?"

"So, this is my daughter, Aspen. You'll be her mentor."

Scarlet's arms dropped to her side and her mouth opened slightly. "You want me to babysit your brat for you?" she said indignantly. It took all my strength not to lash out in protest. "No thanks!"

"You don't have to, of course," my mom said smoothly. "But of course, you don't have to ever go on a solo mission either."

"You just love blackmail, don't you?"

"I've been using it for years, sweetie. It's like a second language to me."

"I don't think a solo mission – heck, even a hundred solo missions – are worth several missions with a young _child _at my side."

"I'm fifteen years old!" I yelled, not able to stand it anymore.

"Yeah, and I'm nineteen. What's your point?" Scarlet shot back. She turned back to my mom. "Can't you get Tanner to do it? He's her cousin, right?"

"There are several reasons why I can't do that, one of them being because he is too young. Look," my mom said. She glanced between Scarlet and me. She grabbed Scarlet's arm and pulled her closer to the wall, away from everyone else in the room. I came close enough to hear what they were saying.

"I don't want to," Scarlet hissed.

"You need to," Mom whispered harshly. She glanced at me. "My daughter is _bionic_. She can_not _fall into The Sovereign's hands. You're the only one I trust enough to make sure that doesn't happen. You're the only one I know who would protect her at all costs. If not for her sake, then for your own."

Scarlet sighed and looked down at her hands. I raised an eyebrow. My mom clearly had some sort of advantage here; I just didn't know what it was.

"Fine," Scarlet said through gritted teeth. "But I won't like it, and neither will she."

"I'm not asking you to like it," Mom said. "I'm asking you to do it."

Scarlet made a face and turned to me. "All right, squirt," she said. "Looks like you and I will be spending some quality time together." I scowled at her. I hated nicknames.

"Why don't you two go down to room 192 and practice there together?" my mom suggested.

"All right," Scarlet said glumly. "Come on, princess."

"Mom, what did you just do?" I hissed.

"I did what's best for both of you," my mom whispered as I followed Scarlet out the door.

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><p>"Can you fight?"<p>

"Um . . ."

"I asked you a question. Can you fight?"

"I'm a bionic superhuman. I've been training since I was in diapers."

"Can you fight well?"

"I don't know . . ."

"'I don't know' is not an acceptable answer. Can you fight well?"

"Sure."

"You're bionic. What are your abilities?"

"Super-intelligence, force field, and something I like to call my 'sixth sense.'"

"Only those three?"

I hesitated. "Yes."

"That's not much."

"I know. My mom didn't want me to have too many."

"What's this 'sixth sense' thing all about?"

"I can 'see' everything around me, but without 'seeing' it. Kinda like having eyes on the back of my head or something like that. It doesn't work well on still objects, but it works fine if the thing is moving."

"Interesting. That might just come in handy. The Defiance has little motion sensors that do that job. They warn us when bionics are approaching."

"I can do that as well."

"Good. Then you're not completely useless."

I scowled.

Scarlet and I were in a small training room. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling, as well as a weapons rack that held guns and swords and such. Scarlet had said that it might be best if we 'got to know each other better' before we began, but she seemed hesitant about actually doing that.

"Why don't you tell me more about you?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. "Can _you _fight?"

Scarlet smirked. "What do _you _think, cupcake?"

"Okay, how about a question that would actually help me to know you? Where are you from?"

"Restwater. Not that it's any of your business."

"You live down here in the base?"

"Yes."

"Got any parents?"

"None of your beeswax!" Scarlet snapped suddenly.

"Fine, fine!" I said, holding my hands up in the air defensively. "You know, I never even caught your last name."

Scarlet's green eyes narrowed. "That's because I don't have one," she spat.

"You don't have a last name?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"That," Scarlet said as she took a few steps closer, glaring at me constantly, "is, once again, none of your business. Interrogation time is over."

"I was just trying to get to know you, like you said."

"Well, that's why this is over. I already know all I need to about _you_."

"You only asked me a few questions, and those were about my fighting skills."

"The fighting skills were something I couldn't assess just by looking at you," Scarlet said coolly. "I've already got you figured out."

"Oh really?"

"Really. You're a spoiled little brat who thinks that just because her mommy runs the rebellion, she should get some extra-special treatment."

"I don't think–"

"And you're completely clueless about how this whole thing really works. You just want to 'prove yourself' so people won't judge you. Too late, sugar. Judgment passed."

I folded my arms across my chest. Well, she _did _get the 'proving myself' thing right. But was that such a bad thing?

"You have no right to judge me," I said quietly.

"You have not right to ask me personal questions," Scarlet said in reply.

"I just wanted to know your last name!"

"That's _personal_." Scarlet sighed. "We're done with this. I'm barely tolerating you as it is, and you're not helping yourself at all here. Let's get to training."

"What are we going to do?" I was more than happy to move away from this tense conversation. What did I do wrong?

"We can start by training with your abilities. Why don't you show me that force field of yours?"

I obeyed and activated the bluish sphere that surrounded my body. Right about now I was glad that I didn't have Uncle Adam's heat vision, or Scarlet would be dead. _I'm trusting you, Mom, _I thought angrily, _but you'd better know what you're doing. This girl is going to drive me crazy!_

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><p><strong>And now you have met Scarlet. She will be in a lot of chapters, so get ready! But hmm, she seems quite mysterious, doesn't she? Lots of secrets of stuff. Wonder if we'll ever find out about those . . .<strong>

**QUESTION TIME!**

**1. What did you think of Scarlet? Like her? Hate her? Don't care?**

**2. Which part of the Defiance would you want join? (Tech team, solo spy, group, protégé/mentor?)**

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><p><strong>j. liz. 8: I've never seenread Divergent, so I couldn't really answer that. But nice reasoning! And hey, thanks for being honest. XD**

**daphrose fan: I'm glad you like it! Oh, I hear you about the climbing part. That probably would've gotten me too. XD I might've been in the three out of ten as well. Whoops!**

**Tie Dye Pencils: It's fine! Got your email; will reply later tonight. Hmm, I may have to explain it to you later. ;) I'm glad you liked it! Thank you!**

**BeautifulSupernova: Aw, thanks! XD I try! Adam will always be Adam!**

**PurpleNicole531: Wow, you got an old Chasey. O.o Nah, I'm just kidding! Sorta. So, let me get this straight: Stella is using a **_**helicopter **_**to find a hidden, **_**underground **_**base? *****entering sarcasm mode***** Yeah, that'll work! But thanks! Glad you liked the action!**

**RissA15: Yay, you're back! :D Sorry, I just can't stop myself from posting this. But hey, more to read! No, leave my couch alone! It's new! And comfortable! Oh, trust me, I've been having breakdowns over the fact that I killed him. But a video wouldn't be a bad idea . . . hmm . . . *****begins brainstorming***** Ha, Spike? That's an interesting theory. Sorry, can't quite say if they were real or not. You get to draw your own conclusions. :) Yay, you survived! Congrats! Yeah, that's fine! Review when you can and I'll be happy! Thanks!**

**GuestPerson: Was that 'defiantly' on purpose? If so, clever! Thanks for the review!**

**TheMichiganWriter: Hmm, I haven't seen any of the Clone Wars episodes (you can just smack me now and get it over with). Glad you enjoyed it! I'm liking Mac better. Still hard to learn everything, though, but I'm getting the hang of it! Haha, I did? They're pretty good. They're one of the few 'popular' bands that I enjoy. Thanks!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Thank you! Tea? Um . . . okay! Seven out of ten people leave the Trials alive . . . that's what Adam said. So would you have survived the Trials (seven out of ten) or died (three out of ten)?**

**tennisgirl77 (chapter 4 and 5): Thank you very much! Haha, that's okay. I probably wouldn't have either. :(**

**risje44 (chapter 1): Aw, thank you! I'm glad!**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: "I WANT A PET PIG!" :D Adam is great at randomness. I can't really tell you. It's up to interpretation! Hopefully indeed! Thanks for reviewing!**

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><p><strong>So, what did you guys think? Did you notice anything subtle (or not-so-subtle) that left you curious? There were a lot of little mysteries: some hidden, others blatant. Will your questions be answered? Stay tuned to find out.<strong>

**Reviews are appreciated, as are follows, favorites, and just plain old views (which if you're reading this, you've already given me!). It's never too late to let me know what you think. I'll see you in a couple of days for Chapter 7: Mission: Restwater. Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7: Mission: Restwater

**Hey everyone! So . . . I have good news and bad news.**

**Good news: I ****_finally _****got a new laptop! Hallelujah! I am so excited. This thing runs so much faster and it is ****_so _****easy to write on. And it will ****_read _****my stories to me. It has been very helpful in catching my mistakes. SO YAY!**

**(Good/bad news: Had a mini-panic attack while uploading this, BECAUSE FANFICTION WON'T LET ME UPLOAD THE DOCUMENTS FROM THE PROGRAM I HAVE! Luckily, I was able to copy-and-paste it [thank _goodness_], so we're all fine now! Phew! *wipes brow*)**

**Bad news: I've been forced to prioritize, and, well, it's safe to say that Fanfiction did not come out on top. This seems like more of an ending author's note thing, so I'll elaborate there.**

**Sorry I haven't updated for a few days. I did ****_not _****finish another chapter, but hey, this is why I have them pre-written.**

**This is where the story really starts to pick up. You'll get a special look into the life of a Defiance member. Oh, and you'll learn a bit more about Scarlet. OH! And The Sovereign's empire as well. :)**

**Chapter seven soundtrack: "Welcome to Daylight" by Luminate. Those of you who have been long-time readers of mine might remember that this song was also the soundtrack to the final chapter of "I'm a Weapon." Well, this chapter is different, but the song still fits very well. (Also, for some odd reason [probably something with my new computer] I am unable to update my profile right now, so I can't post a link. You'll have to look it up on your own. Sorry!)**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and keep your eyes peeled. There might be hidden clues/mysteries/easter eggs. ;) I don't own Lab Rats. I sort of, kind of own the city of Restwater. Sort of. You'll see what I mean when you read. Hope you like it!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 7: Mission: Restwater * * *<strong>

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><p>When my phone woke me just after six on Monday morning, I groaned loudly and shouted, "Snooze! I'm not ready to wake up!" My phone obeyed and shut off the chirping birds that I had chosen for my alarm. I buried my face in my pillow.<p>

My entire body ached. Scarlet had made me do _so _much training yesterday. Every part of me was completely sore. I had a feeling she _liked _making me this tired and achy. What did she have against me, anyway? Was it really because my mom was one of the leaders? Would the whole Defiance see me this way?

After a few minutes, I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. Light was filtering in through the window and casting a warm glow on the lump that was my feet. My messy desk was on the wall opposite me and the mirror next to it was reflecting my bed head.

Finally I managed to roll out of bed. I headed into the bathroom and brushed my hair and teeth, making myself look presentable. I smiled at myself in the mirror. "You don't have school today, Aspen," I said to myself as I applied just a tiny bit of make-up. "Isn't that great?"

I played with the chain of the gold-colored necklace before slipping it over my head. A grin slipped across my face as I observed my reflection. It had only been a few days, but I already missed Evelyn and Jamie.

Gingerly I unwrapped the bandage from around my left hand. The red line had faded a bit, but it was still tender to the touch. Better to be safe than sorry. I wrapped a new bandage around it to make sure I didn't injure it further.

I got dressed in my normal black shorts and light blue tee-shirt with rhinestones on the sleeves. If my mom had us go back to the Defiance base today—oh, I hoped she would—then I'd have to change into something a bit drabber. Probably a loose brown shirt that would allow me more freedom of movement while practicing my abilities.

When I had gotten all ready for the day, I headed down the stairs into the kitchen. Our house was small, very small. There was only the kitchen and the living room on the first floor, with a hallway between the two. Upstairs were the two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Our garage was right next to the house. It was a pretty standard home for families with one kid, and Mom didn't even have a husband anymore.

My mom was standing at the stove, dumping something into the pan and mumbling, "If only Douglas had passed some of his amazing cooking skills on to me." In spite of myself, I chuckled and caught my mom's attention. She turned and smiled at me.

"Let me guess, scrambled eggs again?" I asked as I slid into a chair.

"Unless you want me to try waffles again," my mom sighed.

"No thanks. I'm already sore enough without losing teeth as well."

"Scarlet worked you pretty hard yesterday, hmm?"

"Ugh, yes! Mom, why are you making me work with her? The girl is a monster!"

"She might be a bit . . . _difficult _at times . . ."

"That's an understatement," I mumbled.

"But give her a chance and she's a really sweet girl," my mom finished, sending a sort of glare over her shoulder.

"No, I really don't think so!"

My mom turned and put a plate of scrambled eggs in front of me. She poured two glasses of orange juice and joined me at the table. "I know what I'm doing," she assured me as we both began to pick at our eggs.

"I know, I know," I mumbled. "But she's driving me nuts."

"Well, you'd better get used to her soon, because I'm sending you both on a two-day mission to Restwater today."

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><p>"I have to go with <em>her<em>?"

I almost laughed. Scarlet's reaction was exactly the same as mine.

"You _are _her mentor."

"Yes, but–"

"Look!" my mom roared. I mechanically shivered. Mom didn't get mad often, but when she did, it was something to be feared. "I'm tired of the way you two are treating each other, and it's only been two days! I had hoped both of you would be mature enough to handle this! I still think you are, but you have to prove it to me. You'll be going to Restwater today—which, by the way, Scarlet, is _Monday—_and you'll be working _together_. I don't want to hear any more complaints!"

Scarlet and I were both quiet. Finally my mentor said, "All right."

"Good," my mom sighed. "Aspen?"

"Okay," I said reluctantly.

"Then you two had better get ready. Don't waste too much time. Scarlet, I trust you to take care of my daughter."

"Yes ma'am," Scarlet said through gritted teeth.

My mom gave a grin that looked a bit like a smirk before turning around and marching back down the hall. I took a deep breath and looked at the black-haired girl who would be taking me outside of Brooks for the first time since we had moved here when I was five.

"Grab some warm clothes," Scarlet said absentmindedly. "Restwater is always cold. And don't forget some water. Don't bring too much, though. Oh, and wear something with a hood that will cover your face."

"Won't that look suspicious?" I asked.

Scarlet smirked. "You've never been to Restwater, have you, kid?"

I shook my head.

"Then you're in for a real treat." Scarlet began to head down the hall. "A real treat."

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><p>I shuffled my feet and glanced around at the people near me on the platform. Most of them looked pretty seedy, but the bionic policemen standing nearby made sure nothing happened. For once in my life, I was glad they were there.<p>

This entire building looked ready to fall apart. The tracks just to the right looked stable enough, though the spots of rust made me a bit worried. Everything was silent except for the quiet, energetic song playing through the speakers and the hushed whispers of a few people standing on the platform.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, a transit unit pulled into the station. The sides were sleek and the silver paint was chipping. The doors creaked slightly when they opened. I gulped and stepped into what I was sure was a death trap.

Nobody else got in the same car as us, which was fine by me. Scarlet and I grabbed two seats by the windows. After a few seconds the doors closed behind us and we were completely alone. Soon the transit began to move.

"How long until we get to Restwater?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"About forty-five minutes," Scarlet replied.

"That long?"

"The city is _really _big. And this transport system isn't the best."

We settled in for the ride. I glanced around the car. A few security cameras hung in the corners. Scarlet had already warned me about them. I couldn't say anything suspicious, or the bionics on board would come to our car and . . . well, obviously that wouldn't be good.

My mentor had told me some of what we would be doing. She had informed me of our code names and the way we were to act in the city. Beyond that, she hadn't said much. No matter how much I nagged her, Scarlet was determined to keep most of our plan to herself.

I amused myself on the long ride by looking at the things outside the window. For the first stretch, we just passed a lot of trees and fields. Eventually those passed and we entered a city. Not a big one, but clearly a poor one. The houses were filthy and the few kids I saw that were heading off to school looked a bit unkempt. Finally I had to look away.

After nearly twenty minutes, while I was playing with my fingers, Scarlet nudged me and pointed out the window. I looked up to see the skyscrapers coming up on the horizon. I drew in my breath.

"Restwater," Scarlet said quietly. "Formerly known as New York City. Razed to the ground by The Sovereign and his bionic army in 2018 and rebuilt as the capital of his new empire."

"Named Restwater because somehow that was supposed to represent peace." I tried to keep the sarcasm and hate out of my voice so the bionics running the train wouldn't see the video and get suspicious. That was very hard. I couldn't believe The Sovereign had the audacity to believe that he would bring peace.

The city got closer, and I couldn't help but gape at the large buildings rising up around us. I knew Restwater was large, but somehow I never thought it could be _this _big. Right before we got to the actual edge of the city, the transport went down a small slope and slipped underground.

"Get comfortable," Scarlet said, leaning back in her seat. "The old New York City is _long _gone, and Restwater is a _lot _bigger. We'll be down here for another twenty minutes with nothing to look at but those black walls and the occasional light."

I slumped in the seat a bit and mentally groaned. I hated doing nothing. To keep myself entertained, I studied the map on the wall across from me. When I got bored of that (I was already a geography whiz, obviously), I looked at the various advertisements posted on the walls, everything from soda to the latest version of the Workcom.

Finally after several minutes of sitting and doing nothing, the transport pulled into some underground station. The doors opened and Scarlet and I got off. All the others riding in the cars hopped out as well. The transport left again to head back to Brooks.

"What now?" I asked.

"Now we go to the city," Scarlet said bluntly. "Up those stairs. I'll handle the guard. No talking."

Even though Scarlet got on my nerves, I figured it was best to obey her. After all, she was the one who had actually been to Restwater before.

Together we headed towards the stairs. There was a small booth with a guard who wore the bionic army insignia on her chest. Her face was cold as she studied us.

"Names?" she said curtly.

"Raven Anderson. And this is my cousin, Jay Robinson. We're both from Brooks."

"Identification?" Scarlet obeyed, handing over a few small plastic slips. "What is the purpose of your trip?"

"Just a visit," 'Raven' replied. "And a bit of job-hunting."

After careful scrutiny, the guard seemed to think that our forged IDs were good enough. She grunted and hit a button to raise the metal bar that had been blocking us from leaving. Scarlet thanked her and took back the IDs.

We headed up the stairs and I blinked as bright light entered my eyes. It didn't come from the sun, but rather from the large, lit-up advertisements covering the buildings all around us.

"New York City might be gone," Scarlet muttered, "but from what I know, Restwater isn't all that different."

The sidewalks on either side of the street were crowded, despite the fact that they were actually quite large. Several cars were packed into the street, a lot of them bearing the yellow paint job of a taxicab. Tall, dark buildings rose on every side. For a few seconds, fear gripped my heart.

"It'll be nine in a few minutes," Scarlet reported as she looked down at her watch. She started to move closer to the storefronts, away from the people. I attempted to follow her, trying not to get swept away with the crowd.

"Is that important?" I asked.

"We've got a whole day to kill. Let's just walk around town. I want to head to the park around twelve, because there's something there I think we both need to see. But until then, we can do whatever we want. Want to search for a job?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Look for a job." Scarlet adjusted her hood and glanced around suspiciously. "You know, you wanted to find a job in the big city, Jay?"

I realized what she was trying to do. "Um, okay?" I said it like a question. Why did she want me to search for a job?

We walked down the street for a few blocks. Eventually we got to a much less crowded part of town. Apartments rose on either side. I could see the balconies and a few people standing on them. The dirt and smog filled my nostrils and I coughed mechanically.

There were less people on the streets here, but there were still a lot. Every now and then I caught a glimpse of those brown vests and black hats. People tended to shy away from those members of the Bionic Army, but some didn't even give them a second glance. Scarlet and I were in the latter group. It was best to just pretend they weren't there as long as they weren't _too _close to you. If they approached you, they wanted you to be fearful, and you usually were.

Eventually we got to a part of city with many shops on the first floors of the buildings. This part of the city seemed a lot further back, and there weren't as many people here. Scarlet directed me to one of the shops—a bakery, from the looks of it.

A bell chimed as we walked in the door. A burly man with a vicious scowl glared at us as we came in. _Guess he's never heard of 'service with a smile,' _I thought glumly.

"Hello sir," Scarlet said in the politest tone I've ever heard her use. "My cousin here just turned fifteen, and she was wondering about getting a job here."

"Okay," the man said. "But you should know that I have very strict requirements."

"That's okay, sir," Scarlet said. "Jay here is a very hard worker."

"Can this 'Jay' talk for herself?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Scarlet cut me off, "Actually, she lost her voice yesterday and can't speak." My mentor made a clicking noise with her tongue. "That's why she brought me along, so I can talk for her. Fortunately, she knows sign language. I do as well, and I can translate what she says."

I did in fact know sign language, which is why I said, _What are you doing?_ with my hands.

"She says she can't wait to get started," Scarlet said with a smile that looked almost sadistic to me.

_That's not what I said._

"Okay then," the cruel-looking baker said. "Take a seat and we'll get started."

_Do you even know sign language?_

Scarlet nodded while the baker's back was turned.

_Then what are you doing?_

"I don't have a whole lot of time," the baker said. His name tag read 'Emery James.' "My son and I have to bring in a big shipment later on."

"Of course, I understand," Scarlet said. "Getting a lot of new bread?"

"Yes, and it will take until curfew to store it. So please, let's get on with it."

The three of us sat down at the table and the interview began. I answered with my hands, and Scarlet translated. I noticed that occasionally she would change some things—or a lot of things. The baker clearly didn't know sign language, because he didn't notice.

Every now and then I would throw in that same sign: _What in the world are you doing? _Scarlet never answered me.

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><p><strong>Sorry New Yorkers. It got destroyed. :3 By the way, I've never been to New York, so I'm sorry if I get anything wrong. My excuse is that it's not New York, it's Restwater!<strong>

**QUESTION TIME!**

**1. Any ideas about what Scarlet is up to? Wild theories make me laugh, so send in anything you've got!**

**2. Were you surprised to find out that Restwater is New York?**

**3. Do you know where Scarlet's and Aspen's code names came from? (Hint: It's not a reference to a movie/story/TV show or anything like that.)**

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><p><strong>ungerlover: (Chapter 5) I know, right! Hey, maybe Adam was wrong. It is . . . Adam. :P Well, thank you! I find Adam hard to write, so I'm glad that people think I do okay! Ooh, ouch! Well, you'll probably never find out about the bionics. There may be hints in future chapters, so read closely! Yeah, I'd probably be in the 3 out of 10 too. Aw, thanks! (Chapter 6) For sure. Oh, don't worry, you'll find out! Wow, that bad? *shudders* BOO WHIPPED CREAM! Ha, I guess she is kind of like Chase in some ways! People seem to like the spy idea. :) Oh, yes, take all the minions you want! I have <strong>**_way _****too many. Just feed them every two hours or they eat the nearest human flesh (probably yours). Just a warning. Thank you! Here's your update!**

**RandomGirl: Yeah, Scarlet can be a bit mean. Ooh, fancy! XD Yes, I may or may not have done that on purpose. I like playing with your emotions. ;) HFDSR!**

**PurpleNicole531: Ha, she probably would! XD Oh, you're the only one to pick that! Nice! Hmm, maybe so, maybe not. Maybe there's a lot more to Scarlet than meets the eye. ;) Thanks!**

**La pluie minuit: Aw, thank you so much! You made me smile so big. I really appreciate it! Thanks for reading!**

**RissA15: That's fine. You don't know her very well yet. *backs away* O.o You're creepy. (XD)**

**LabGirl2001: Hmm, maybe, maybe. Interesting guess. Adam helps run the Defiance. He works with Bree and Leo and Mr. Davenport to build bases or organize troops and create plans. Oh, fun! You're the only one who picked the tech team. Thanks for the review!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Well, you certainly weren't going easy on her there. XD Eh, no. I'm in the 3 out of 10 too. :P Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out. Like I said to PurpleNicole531, there's a lot more to Scarlet than meets the eye. ;)**

**ShyMusic: Wouldn't it be? Thanks for the review!**

**TheMichiganWriter: I have no idea; I've never seen Ice Age. Congrats on surviving! I doubt I would've. :P Oh, yeah, I forgot! Scarlet is actually based on a Star Wars OC I created a while ago (named Kat Cyphrus) who was an assassin/bounty hunter. :) Thanks for the review!**

**tennisgirl77: That's what most people seem to think. Thank you!**

**daphrose fan: Hmm, perhaps. We'll learn a bit more about her as the story goes along. That is a very interesting idea! Aw, thank you so much! I appreciate it!**

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><p><strong>So now to elaborate on the bad news. I have school. Lots of school. On top of that, I am working on a <strong>**_massive _****project ****_outside_**** of fanfiction. This project also has a deadline, and I have a lot of work to do if I want to meet it.**

**What does that mean? No, don't worry, I'm not leaving. Not for good. More like . . . taking a break. Not even that; I'll just be distant for a bit. Now More Than Ever and Daddy's Little Lab Rats are both on temporary/unofficial hiatus. Since I already have so much of We Deserve Freedom done, I'll still be posting, but at a ****_much _****slower rate (probably only once or twice a week). It will probably be this way for about a month, or at least a few weeks. Sorry guys. I can always come back to fanfiction, but there are real life matters that just won't wait. Thanks for understanding.**

**So, after that massive author's note, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. I'm excited for you guys to read chapter 8. I introduce ****_another _****character to the story and I'm wondering what you'll think of him. So review/follow/favorite if you'd like, and thanks for reading! See you in a little bit for Chapter 8: Off With Her Head!**


	8. Chapter 8: Off With Her Head!

**Hey, so, it's been a little while. I haven't finished chapter 13 yet. Good news: I'm posting anyway! Bad news: It'll be a little while before the next update. By a little while, I mean a week or two. I probably shouldn't even be posting now, but I ****_really _****wanted to.**

**This chapter is REALLY intense. There's something in it that might be uncomfortable. I won't spoil it, but please know that the title of this chapter is ****_literal_****. That should give you some idea. It is me, so I was as careful as I could be, but just exercise caution if you get squeamish.**

**Before we start, I want to give a shout-out to Tor Raptor. First of all, this person leaves wonderful reviews that always make me smile. Second, I've been reading their story ("Douglas's Project"), and it's ****_really _****good. Highly recommended. :)**

**Chapter eight soundtrack: "Rise" by Skillet. Originally this was the soundtrack for chapter five, but I moved it to eight. It fits because of the revolutionary tone. "Fight back!" and that kind of thing, which is what this chapter is about.**

**I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter! Better prepare yourselves, though. That new character I mentioned last chapter isn't exactly the friendly sort. :/ I only own my OCs. Lab Rats belongs to Disney. *sobs because I don't own Disney* ON WITH THE STORY!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 8: Off With Her Head! * * *<strong>

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><p>"Well, I don't think he's going to hire me," I said as we headed down the street after my interview.<p>

"That doesn't matter," Scarlet said curtly.

"What was up with that, anyway?"

Scarlet glanced up at the building above us. I followed her gaze and saw a security camera hanging above a window. I sighed and looked down at the ground. Whatever it was, Scarlet couldn't say it out loud. Even here, in all the hubbub of the city, we could be busted for being Defiance members. That could _not _happen.

"There's something in Restwater Park that I want to show you. It starts at twelve, so we've got about ten minutes to get there."

We started walking. I followed Scarlet's lead, keeping my eyes focused in front of me. Scarlet had told me earlier that looking up at the towering skyscrapers would cause pickpockets and thieves to single you out a gullible tourist who would be easy to rob. Not that I had anything valuable, anyway, but I still didn't want to draw any attention. Being seen as a tourist could also attract the attention of a bionic, and that would be even worse than a thief.

After walking for several minutes, we came to a large open space filled with grass and trees. There were a variety of people wandering around, including a few kids who had their lunch break from school during this hour.

Up ahead there was a large stage. Several people milled around. Scarlet led me closer to it. We stood at the edge of the crowd. Large screens were behind the stage, and I assumed that when they came on we would be able to see everything going on. I actually had a pretty good view, though.

I adjusted my hood and glanced around at the crowd. Most of them had an "I-don't-want-to-be-here" look on their face, which made me curious. A lot of people had on large hoods that hid their faces from view, like Scarlet and I. It made me wonder if they all had something to hide as well.

Several people were climbing up the stairs onto the stage. They arranged themselves into orderly lines and stared out at the crowd. As I looked closely, I realized that they all belonged to the bionic army. I gasped and turned to Scarlet. Her face was emotionless. She sent a sideways glance at me that somehow managed to reassure me. As much as I hated to trust that arrogant jerk, Scarlet knew what she was doing.

Three new figures suddenly came up the stairs from the back of the stage. Two of them were bionic soldiers. The third one was a teenage girl. Her arms were bound in chains: chains the soldiers were holding. Her blonde hair blew in the wind, and even from a distance I could see the defiance in her posture.

The two soldiers brought the girl to the center of the stage and forced her to her knees. The screens came on as they latched her chains to hooks on the ground. I now had a much better view of what they were doing. The girl was resisting with all her might, but the bionics still got her down so she was facing the crowd. She stared down at the white stage, not looking up at us.

An odd silence fell over the crowd. I could feel a chill sweep through everyone, and it wasn't just because of the wind. Even Scarlet seemed to tense up. The two bionics who had been holding the girl fell back into the lines. The soldiers straightened their shoulders and their eyes all flashed dangerously. Something was about to happen.

Then from the same stairs the girl had ascended a few minutes before came a new figure. The screen showed him as he walked up. His black clothes made him resemble a shadow. They looked similar to those of the Bionic Army, but his looked much more official. He couldn't have been any older than Scarlet, which surprised me. Tufts of light brown hair escaped from under his black hat.

The boy studied us all with a scrutinizing gaze. "As I'm sure most of you know, I am Snake," he said boldly. "For those of you don't know, feel free to talk to my associates." He sent a sideways glance at the bionic soldiers and let out a deep, menacing chuckle.

"Who is that?" I whispered to Scarlet.

"Don't they teach you anything in school?" Scarlet hissed back. "He's . . ."

Scarlet trailed off when Snake started to speak again. "This young girl was found guilty of being outside well after curfew was over without a legitimate excuse, and for treason against our glorious Sovereign by speaking slanderously against him."

"I was speaking the truth!" the girl shouted. "The truth the people need to hear!" _Wow, this girl has guts, _I thought. I respected the way she was speaking out, but for some reason I had a bad feeling about her. She was doing this all wrong, though I couldn't place my finger on exactly why.

"You're not making this any better for yourself, sweetheart," Snake growled. Then to the rest of the crowd he said, "It is our weekly tradition here in Restwater to remind the public of what happens when you disobey. Remember people, this doesn't need to happen. If you all behave yourselves, The Sovereign will have no need to kill any of you off."

That was when I finally realized what was happening. It was a public execution. I had heard of them before. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach as I realized what I was about to see.

"As it is," Snake continued, "we have to continue to weed out the rebellious. The Sovereign wants peace, but it will not happen unless everyone cooperates. People like Miss Carly Powell here . . ."—Snake grabbed Carly's head, tilting it upward so that everyone could see her and she could see them—". . . have not listened to reason, and they must be dealt with . . . severely."

Carly's eyes held something that I had seen in every rebel I had encountered: it was that hatred. The hatred of The Sovereign and his ridiculous rules. But there was something else, as well. Something that ran deeper than just plain old hate. It was loathing; it was abhorrence; it was murderous disgust.

_Murderous. _No member of the Defiance had that. We drew a line somewhere, and that somewhere was the point where we started acting like those we were fighting against.

That girl on stage would clearly kill her captors if she was free and capable enough to do it. The gloved hands gripping her cheeks couldn't hold down her anger. She didn't want freedom for others. She wanted freedom for herself. She wanted vengeance. That could never be good. I could tell that she was only making those around her—particularly Snake—even angrier with her attitude.

"Let Carly Powell serve as a reminder to all of you!" Snake shouted loudly, angrily. "The Sovereign cannot—_will not—_tolerate rebellion in his civilization. _This _is how it ends for those who chose to continue in their rebellious ways."

From Snake's hand a long, bright object was generated. "Laser sword," I muttered under my breath. I was astonished to see such a weapon. It was a bionic ability with much power and danger. Not many had it. The flat blue laser was just as sharp as a real sword, and capable of just as much damage. Every part of the one-bladed sword protruding from Snake's hand could easily kill or brutally maim a person.

"Any final words?" Snake asked.

Carly looked up at him, her blue eyes still holding that murderous glare. "Go to hell," she spat.

Snake sent the glare right back at her. He twirled his laser sword around his hand a few times for show. "See you there," he replied coolly.

I glanced at the ground, not able to look at what came next. Mothers covered their children's eyes, and babies began to wail. I heard the sickening swish of the blade and the slicing sound as it made contact with skin. I felt like puking.

The sounds of bionics scrambling to take away the girl's decapitated body were heard from the stage. I squeezed my eyes shut as Snake gave one last little speech.

"Carly Powell has been an example to all of you! The Sovereign is our ruler, and he hates to do this, as do I. Remember what you have witnessed today. All hail The Sovereign!"

"All hail The Sovereign!" the crowd cheered. Scarlet was shouting it too, and elbowed me when I didn't. The atrocious words parted my lips only once. It was all I would allow those fiends.

The crowd soon began to disperse. Parents tried to calm wailing children and some teens were discussing the execution in gory detail.

"Why would anyone take their kid to something like this?" I wondered out loud.

"Teach them young," Scarlet said simply. We both know what she was thinking: indoctrination, brainwashing, etc., etc.

There were video cameras even here, hanging off of lampposts and catching our every move. One slip-up and we would be doomed. I needed to word my next question carefully.

"So who is Snake again?" I asked quietly.

"The Sovereign's right hand man," Scarlet said. Her voice was flat and emotionless. She also knew that one slip-up would ruin us. "He pretty much controls the whole army, and he's the public figure when it comes to fear. He's also The Sovereign's son."

"I'm sorry, his _what_?"

"Son."

"The Sovereign had kids?" It took all my strength not that say, "So you mean that lunatic passed his crazy genes onto someone else?"

"_A _kid. A son. Snake."

"I didn't even know he had a wife."

"He didn't. Doesn't. He _created _Snake."

"That's . . . that's . . ."

"We can talk about it more later," Scarlet assured me. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, um, wh-what now?" I was still a bit shaken up.

"You're such a coward, aren't you?" Scarlet scoffed. Ah, there was that mean, bossy Scarlet I knew and didn't love. She corrected herself quickly, though. "Jay, I had one other place in mind where you could interview."

"Where?"

"Come on, let's start walking."

Scarlet started leading me out of the park, and I followed. The trees around us were turning red and orange, as was typical in fall. Kids had started to head back since lunch hour was over. My stomach growled a bit, but I didn't say anything. We exited the park and started walking through the streets again.

This time, however, I found that we were in a much richer part of town. The buildings around us were crisp and white and the streets were clean. Business people in fancy suits passed right by us. I could feel Scarlet tense up a little next to me.

"Where is this?" I asked.

"We're on the north side of town," Scarlet said quietly. "Also the richest. All these buildings are _huge _apartments or crazy big office spaces. This is where the tech moguls and government officials—the non-bionic ones—live."

The large, looming buildings were a bit ominous. Scarlet and I were occasionally eyed with suspicion, but luckily no one stopped to questions us. I didn't like this 'rich people' part of town, which was a bit ironic, considering that in the past the Davenport family had been so successful. But my grandfather's company fell to ruins when The Sovereign took over, and that was considered ancient history by now.

On the horizon I could see a massive mansion perched on a hill—whether natural or man-made, I couldn't tell. It stood out like a grape juice stain on a white carpet, which was odd since the building itself didn't look strange, just . . . massive. Nevertheless, I felt a chill go down my spine.

"Raven, what is that?" I asked, nudging my mentor and pointing to the odd building.

"The Sovereign's home," Scarlet said stiffly. _Oh, that's why I feel so uncomfortable! _I realized. "That's where he stays when he's not traveling anywhere. Just to the right there, you can see the tip of another building at the base of the hill. That's his prison."

Several thoughts went reeling through my mind. I had never been this close to The Sovereign before. He might very well be in that building right now. Watching. Waiting. I shivered.

Eventually the building left my field of vision, and I was forced to keep my eyes on the road in front of me. Slowly we began to leave the richer part of town, though this part still seemed very well-to-do.

"So where are we going again?" I asked. "You said you had another place for me to interview at?"

"Yes. There's a linens store not far from here that might be perfect. They're hiring."

"Good to know," I muttered through gritted teeth.

"Come on, cousin. Let's get to that interview. Oh, and don't forget to use your hands."

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><p><strong>How was that? So, yeah, I warned you! Hey, dictatorships and tyrannical governments do this kind of thing in real life. I'd rather my story be realistic than warm and fuzzy while glossing over the truth.<strong>

**1. Snake! I'm guessing most of you don't like him. What did you think? Love him? Hate him? Want to join the Defiance and tackle him?**

**2. Surprised that The Sovereign is Snake's dad? Not surprised? Confused? Bewildered? Or do you think Scarlet was lying?**

**Not many questions today. OH! And by the way, I imagine the laser sword as a cross between a laser bo and a lightsaber. (The idea actually came from Chase's laser bo. I thought it would be cool if it was a different kind of weapon.)**

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><p><strong>PurpleNicole531: Yeah, I don't think the Bionic Army likes a helicopter flying around in their airspace, Stella. :3 You really should've thought that through! Um, yeah, sure! I'll send a squad of minions to capture Stella to play jumprope. (Skylar informed me that on her planet, "jumprope" means "brutal interrogation." :D) Thanks for reviewing!<strong>

**Guest: Hmm, quite possibly. ;)**

**TheMichiganWriter: Haha! I took a sign language class a few years ago, so I kinda know it. Some of the action, yes! Oh, yes, absolutely! My inner geek to match my outer geek! :D Thanks for the review!**

**LabGirl2001: Really? Hmm. Yeah, Scarlet's sneaky!**

**daphrose fan: Can I say again how much I love your name? THANK YOU! Anyway, well, I'm not allowed to give out that kind of info. ;) You'll learn more about The Sovereign in chapter 12, so be on the lookout! Thanks for reviewing!**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Glad you like her! Ha, a lot of people seem to think that Scarlet's going to leave her there. XD You'll have to keep reading to see! That's fine! Uh, yeah, the internet is amazing! Congrats on beating your sister at Monopoly! :D**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Very unique guess! Nope. This story's got a lot of secrets. :3 Thanks for reviewing!**

**RandomGirl: YES! Destroy whipped cream! XD Sorry, I'm a writer; I HAVE to mess with your feelings! That is literally my job! XD XD XD XD XD I tortured Kenny in my review on Tutor (ungerlover's story), so check it out! A bit too busy to do it now, sorry. :( YQFRATT! (Can you figure that one out?) You know, you should really get an account on here. That would be awesome! :D Anywho . . . HFDSRATFR! (Have fun doing something random and thanks for reviewing!)**

**Xxx (xxxWasabiWarriorAlertxxx): Thank you! Hmm, quite possibly! You'll have to stay tuned and find out!**

**Tor Raptor: Well, I hope it doesn't look like I'm stealing anything! Yeah, I'm not good at fighting either. XD I finally got a chance to update, so here you go! Thank you so much for the kind review!**

**ungerlover: Haha, it's fine! Funny how you seem to always review right before I post a chapter. O.o Pie with whipped cream is, like, the epitome of evil! D:} I love weirdness, though, and your review made me laugh! XD Restwater may be a real city. SOMEBODY SEARCH GOOGLE MAPS! Hmm, they are bird names, aren't they? ;) I sort of know sign language! Yay! Thanks! School's rough. -_- Um, well, I have too many minions to name. I just call them by numbers. Hey, Minion #459, get back to interrogating Stella! Anyway . . . I say Steve. That's a fun name. :3 Or you can be a typical fangirl and call him "Chase." XD Haha, well, actually it was Snake. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!**

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><p><strong>I'm also currently working on a short story called "Lab Rat." Yes, a Lab Rats story called Lab Rat. Isn't that great? It's kinda dark, but if you wanted to check it out, that would be much appreciated! And by the way, if you do read that story, I have a poll on my profile that I would love for you to check out!<strong>

**The fourth chapter of Lab Rat will go up tomorrow, and the fifth chapter on Friday. After that, I'll be officially taking a break from Fanfiction for a few weeks. Don't expect an update soon. I'm sorry guys, but real life is just too crazy right now. Thank you for understanding!**

**So anyway, reviews are always appreciated! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. You guys are great. :3 Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! See in a week or two. Bye!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Plan Comes Together

**So . . . I ****_still _****haven't finished chapter 13. But you guys deserve an update. Hey, like I said before, this is why I wrote them in advance. I'm working on another non-fanfiction story that requires all my creative energy, so I haven't been able to work on this. Hopefully in the week or two I should be able to come back. We'll see.**

**Um . . . I got a hundred reviews! Yay! I appreciate all the support! Thank you guys so much! :D**

**Chapter nine soundtrack: "Ninja Tracks" by Republic. This is my first instrumental song for this story! Hooray! Link to the song is on my profile, if you can't find it yourself.**

**Let's not dilly-dally any longer. On with the next chapter! I don't own Lab Rats, just Aspen and Scarlet and the rest of my OCs. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 9: The Plan Comes Together * * *<strong>

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><p>I took slow, careful bites of my burger. It was better than anything my mom had ever cooked, but it still tasted like sandpaper sliding down my throat. But maybe that was just me.<p>

Scarlet sat across from me, absentmindedly chewing her fries. Neither of us had said anything to each other since we had gotten our food. Talking had been sparse even before then.

The window we were sitting by looked out into the streets of Restwater. People scrambled about, carrying shopping bags or hauling young children around. I couldn't help but wonder what each of them was thinking. What did they think of The Sovereign? Would they be happy that we're trying to free them? What are their lives like?

With a sigh, I went back to my burger. I supposed I should enjoy being in the big city. Seeing new sights and trying new foods . . . even if those foods tasted like cardboard.

"So what are we doing tonight?" I said, getting tired of the silence. Scarlet looked up at me blankly. "Before curfew?" I continued. "We shouldn't have that much time left. What time is it, anyway?"

Scarlet looked down at her watch and slid her fingers across it. "It's just after seven," she said dryly.

"So we only have an hour?"

Scarlet allowed a hint of smile to tug at her lips. "Little _cousin_," she said. I caught the disdain in her voice. "Curfew in Restwater isn't until nine. They need to give tourists more time to find an apartment. You should really learn these things."

"I would if you would just tell me," I muttered under my breath. Then louder I asked, "So where are we staying tonight?"

Scarlet leaned back in her seat. "Leave that to me."

It was clear that my mentor was not going to say anything else. I picked up one of my own fries and chewed it thoughtfully before looking out the window again.

There was a man who had come to the corner right outside the seedy restaurant. His brightly colored clothes were extremely unusually. In his hands he held a cardboard sign that read, "The end of the world is coming!" He began to shout at the passer-by about his "message."

_Well, it won't be long before the Bionic Army hauls him away_, I thought as I swallowed another ketchup-doused French fry.

Sure enough, three minutes later four soldiers showed up. They grabbed the man's hands and, despite his furious resistance, dragged him away. His shouts were heard for a few more seconds before the bionics managed to silence him. Scarlet shook her head mournfully.

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><p>The clock on the building above us read 8:24. The sky had grown dark, but the lights of the city kept it lit bright as day. I was starting to get antsy. Scarlet hadn't even begun to look at hotel rooms. Why was she waiting until the last minute? It wasn't like we were doing anything. We were just wandering around the city aimlessly.<p>

Suddenly Scarlet froze, and I mean _froze_. She was completely still. I followed her lead. Scarlet's eyes flicked left and right, observing the street. There weren't many people around us, and as far as I could see, there were no bionics around.

"Get ready to go into the alley on the right," Scarlet said in such a low whisper that it took me a second to process what her words. "Three . . . two . . . one . . . now!"

The two of us charged to the right as fast as we could. Scarlet pressed herself against the wall and squeezed her eyes shut for just a second. She led me further into the alley for several seconds. Finally we stopped beside a dumpster to catch our breath.

"Good job following orders for once, Aspen," Scarlet panted.

"Oh, so _now _you can say my name?"

"We're out of view of any cameras."

"It's that easy?"

"Of course not. The Sovereign isn't going to waste money putting expensive cameras in all the alleys, but his soldiers patrol at night. That's why we have motion sensors, so we can tell when they're approaching. The spot we entered in has a blind spot, but they'll figure out that we disappeared and send bionics after us. We need to get moving before that happens."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

Scarlet turned to me and smirked. "The bakery."

Before I could ask any questions, Scarlet took off running. I groaned silently to myself and followed her, sprinting through the alleys. She loved to torture me, didn't she?

Suddenly my mentor stopped again. She motioned for me to be quiet and we crept along. Scarlet peered around the corner. I heard a few voices. I recognized one of them as the baker from earlier.

"The baker and his son are bringing in their shipment," she hissed at me. "They're about to go inside. When they do, we'll have just a few minutes to grab what we need and get out."

"We're just going to take their bread?" I whispered incredulously.

Scarlet glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "You're a conscientious one, aren't you? Don't worry, we'll pay for it. Now listen close: He's probably going to leave the door open a crack. You know what he's got in there?" I opened my mouth to answer, but Scarlet did it for me. "Cameras. You can't be seen by the cameras. Stay away from the door and stay close to me. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good." There was a momentary pause. "They're going in. Come on, quick!"

We charged out from around the corner. Right outside the back door to the bakery were crates marked 'Bread.' Scarlet reached into a nearby dumpster and pulled out a large, discarded flour sack that had been lying on the top. She commanded me to help her pry off the top of one of the crates. The two of us managed to get it off and reveal the loaves of bread inside.

Scarlet reached in and started to place the bread in the sack. I helped her, but something about it didn't feel quite right. Scarlet glanced at me and motioned for me to continue grabbing bread.

Once our little sack was half-full, Scarlet stopped putting bread in it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of dollar bills. She placed them inside the crate before hoisting the bag of bread over her shoulder. She tilted her head to signal that we were leaving.

As soon as we were back around the corner, I whispered, "Is that how much the bread cost?"

"It's how much he paid for it," Scarlet muttered. "He would've sold it for a lot more, but that's exactly how much he paid."

"But–"

"He's been compensated, Aspen," Scarlet groaned. "Come on, we have to get out of here before he comes out and finds that his bread is gone. Hurry!"

We ran off down the alleys without another word. After a few minutes, Scarlet began to slow down. She grinned slightly and turned to face me. She placed the bag on the ground and knelt beside a manhole cover.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Scarlet didn't answer me. She just reached down and began to pull up on the manhole cover. "Help me with this!" she grunted. I got down on my hands and knees and pulled up on the metal circle. We pushed it aside with great effort.

"You first," Scarlet huffed.

"We're going down _there_?"

"Of course. Why do you think we had to lift it? Climb down and I'll hand you the bread."

I wrinkled my nose. Carefully I put my feet onto the rungs. Taking a deep breath, I headed down into the sewer. My feet hit the floor and I called up to Scarlet.

"You be careful with this!" she called down to me. "Don't drop it!"

"Got it!"

The sack came down and I caught it deftly in my arms. A few seconds later, Scarlet began to climb down. There was a _clunk _as she slid the manhole cover back into place. Once my mentor was down and standing beside me, she took the bread back and turned to our right. "Let's go."

"Why are we taking the sewer?"

"We'd have to cross streets up above. This is the only safe way."

"And it's really safe?"

"Yes . . . well, sort of. But we shouldn't stay down here more than twenty-four hours."

"Why not?"

"Poison."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Poison. The Sovereign didn't want anyone living down here where it would be hard to get to them. So he had the walls lined with a poison. A few minutes down here, you'll have a cough for a few hours. A few hours, you'll cough for a few days. You stay down here for one day or more, you're dead."

I glanced at the metal wall to my right and inched away slowly. "So it's not really safe at all, then."

"We'll only be down here for a few minutes. We'll be fine. Come on, Aspen, you're a soldier now. You've got to learn to do things the hard way."

For several minutes we walked along in silence. I grew used to the stench of sewer water faster than I thought I would. It helped to breathe through the mouth. We walked on small walkways beside the dirty brown water. I had to strain my eyes to see anything in the dim light.

"Scarlet . . . I have a question."

"Mmm?"

"Won't the Bionic Army become suspicious that I used sign language for my interviews but was talking to you throughout the city? And shouldn't they know our faces from Brooks?"

"Soldiers across towns don't always communicate with each other. The Sovereign has a lot of people to keep track of. That's why he won't mind if one teenage girl uses sign language for 'some reason' during job interviews. To be frank, he doesn't care. Now us slipping into the alley just before curfew . . . he'll care about that. That's why we need to be careful."

"How are we getting out of the city tomorrow? Just slip back into the crowd?"

"Somewhat. We can't take a main road, though; we'll have to take a back way. Luckily, I know them all."

"Okay. One more question: Snake."

"What about him?"

"Everything. He's . . . he's really The Sovereign's son?"

Scarlet bowed her head and stared at the metal path in front of us. "Yeah. Created and raised to be a killing machine. Kinda sad, actually. The poor kid never even had a choice."

_Never even had a choice. _Something about those words made them echo through my brain. It was a unique choice of wording. A strange choice of wording.

"So his job is to kill people?" I asked.

"Pretty much. Kill, strike fear into people's hearts . . . and put on a show. Did you catch all that sap about how he and The Sovereign 'didn't want to do it'? All fake. He loves doing it. He _relishes _the killing."

"And how do you know all this?"

"One look at him tells you all you need to know," Scarlet said. "The kid is a monster. We're here."

Scarlet motioned to the rungs along the wall after her abrupt change in subject. She handed me the bread again and headed up. After I handed it to her, I clambered up as well. The sweet air of the city was refreshing, despite the fact that it was tinted with the smell of garbage and a hint of pollution. Anything was better than sewer water.

"What now?" I asked, mentally shaking off the gross feeling that was invading my nerves. Together we slid the manhole cover back into place.

Scarlet tilted her head to the left. "The linens store I took you to earlier is right around the corner. They're also brining in a shipment today. They're cutting it close; curfew is probably only a few minutes away. Come on."

We crept towards the wall and peered around it. Two workers were just heading inside the building, and there were a few crates near a truck that still had to be unloaded. "Same rules," Scarlet hissed. "Go."

The two of us ran over to the truck. Scarlet and I grabbed several blankets and stuffed them into the flour sack, being careful not to smash the bread. My mentor pulled out some money and placed it nearby.

"Come on, Chris, we only have eight more minutes! Let's go!"

Scarlet and I jumped at the voice. We took off around the corner at top speed. Once we had gone past it, we didn't stop running. The workers would be quick to come after us.

Sure enough, there were a few angry shouts and loud footsteps. Scarlet and I continued running, and before long we couldn't hear them anymore. We both stopped to catch our breath.

"Are we taking this stuff back to the base in the morning?" I said as I took a deep breath.

"Oh, kid," Scarlet chuckled, "this stuff isn't for the Defiance."

* * *

><p><strong>Ta-da! Well, some questions have been answered, but now it seems that there are new ones! So I shall ask them.<strong>

**1. If that stuff is not for the Defiance, who is it for?**

**2. What did you think of that man who got arrested at the beginning of the chapter? I figured that those loons who preach about "the end of the world" with cardboard signs would always be around. I also figured that The Sovereign wouldn't tolerate them very much. :3**

**3. Favorite part of this chapter? Vague, but I don't really have anything else to ask. XD**

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><p><strong>PurpleNicole531: Haha, well, that was unintentional! Well, it seems only logical that you dislike him. He is my villain. Yes, off with HIS head! :D Haha, of course! XD Thanks for reviewing!<strong>

**TheMichiganWriter: As gritty as it is, it's a very real part of governments like The Sovereign's Empire. :( Ha, I'm not a fan of cooking either. XD It's okay! Thanks for reviewing!**

**HawiianChick12: (Chapter 6) Yes, that's the way I wrote her! (Chapter 8) Ha, interesting theory! I guess you'll have to wait and see. ;) Thanks for the reviews!**

**Tor Raptor: Yes, that's why I wrote it! Haha, defenestration. XD I love that! Well, you learned a ****_bit _****more about Snake in this chapter. I thought it would be appropriate to give him an heir. Haha, I got all that! Yes, world domination doesn't come so easily. Well, I'm back now! :D I'm glad you like my stories so much! It really means a lot to me! And you are very welcome for the shout-out!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: That may or may not be my plan. ;) *presses update button* Uh . . . does anyone see the unicorn that just appeared?**

**ungerlover: Yes, you are not the last one this time! Congratulations! :D Ah, yes, I love confusing you poor readers. ;) I am trying to create many possibilities in this story. Many questions. It's fun! :D Yeah, it was literal. *squirms* Hey, dictatorships are gritty. Thanks! I liked that line. :) Haha, a minion named Snake! That's perfect! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Ha, that's an awesome theory! XD The Sovereign ****_is _****referred to as a "he," but who knows, maybe I'm just trying to trick you guys. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Thanks! Ha, don't we all? And it's fine, I know the feeling. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**RandomGirl: You hate that you love him? Or you love that you hate him? :P Ha, I actually kinda forgot it too. XD I think it was . . . You're Welcome for Replying All the Time. YEAH! :D Well, you don't have to post stories if you get an account. A lot of people have accounts just for reading and reviewing. But hey, you don't have to, of course. I just thought it would be fun to PM you and stuff. :) I Hate Yellow Unicorn Shoes! XD Jk. I Hope You Update Soon! (Took me a while to figure out, though!) HFDSRATFR!**

**Tie Dye Pencils: Thankies for being my hundredth reviewer, Emmy! I'm so glad it's you. :3 Don't you know me at all? I ****_love _****to write dark things. }:D Hmm, maybe he is The Sovereign's son, maybe he's not. You'll just have to wait and see. ;) Thank you so much! :D**

**Apickleperson: Gee, what's with this fandom and pickles? XD Anyway, hmm, maybe. Scarlet's age doesn't match up with S-1's, but who knows what kind of crazy things I did. Maybe S-1 has a power where she doesn't age. You'll have to wait and see. As for who The Sovereign is, I can't say yet. Maybe it's Krane. Maybe it's Marcus. Maybe he's just an OC that you don't know at all. I like to keep you guys guessing. ;) Thanks for the review!**

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><p><strong>Thanks to y'all for reading! I appreciate that you took time out of your day to read this odd little story that popped into my mind because I wanted to write about the future of Lab Rats. Seriously, you all mean the world to me. Thanks! :)<strong>

**As long as I've got you here, I would appreciate it if you could check out the poll on my profile. I have a few one-shot ideas that I want to write, and I'd like to know which ones you want to see first. Currently there's a three-way-tie for first out of five stories. XD So if you haven't voted already, I would appreciate it if you could. Thanks!**

**I'm still not officially back (then again, I was never officially gone), so my next update probably won't be for another week or two. I'll do it when I can! Thank you guys so much for understanding that I need a break. See you in a few weeks for Chapter 10: Cover of Night. Bye!**


	10. Chapter 10: Cover of Night

**Hi guys! I'm baaaaaaack! For good! Until I get busy again. It'll probably happen eventually. Ugh. But for now, I'm here! This chapter will conclude my mass update today. Other updated stories are: Now More Than Ever, Walls, Daddy Little Lab Rats, and A Different Kind of Hurt. Check them out!**

**This chapter's got a lot of cute moments in it, so I hope you'll enjoy those! You finally learn who the stuff was for.**

**Chapter 10 soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by Audio Adrenaline. Just to "warn you," it is a Christian song. However, I think it fits perfectly with this chapter.**

**I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs and the idea. Enjoy, everyone!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 10: Cover of Night * * *<strong>

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><p>"What's my name?" my mentor asked as we tramped through another dark alley. It seemed to lead to a dead end not that far ahead of us.<p>

"Scarlet?"

"No. Not that name."

I thought for a moment. "Oh, Raven."

"Correct. And yours?"

"Jay."

"There's a reason for those names."

Scarlet stopped and let the bag she was carrying drop to the ground. She cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a loud, harsh croaking noise. I raised an eyebrow as she repeated the sound—twice, thrice, four times.

I was about to ask what she was doing when suddenly a shrill chirp came from somewhere not too far away. Scarlet answered it with another loud caw. The chirp sounded three more times.

Out of the shadows, a figure emerged. As it walked closer, I realized that it was a boy about my age. I could just barely make him out in the dim light as he approached us.

"And the raven has landed," he quipped once he got closer.

"And the nighthawk emerges," Scarlet replied. "How've you been?"

The boy shrugged. "Eh, not worse than usual." He gestured to me with his chin. "Who's the new girl?"

"Ah, you haven't been formerly introduced," Scarlet said. "Caleb, this is Aspen Summers, my new _protégé. _Aspen, this is Caleb . . ."

"Runaway extraordinaire!" Caleb finished, waving his arms around with a flourish. "It's a pleasure to meet such a lovely young lady as yourself."

"Nice to meet you too," I said politely. I didn't know what to make of this blonde-haired teen, but I knew that meeting strangers in alleys was never a good thing.

"And a girl with a last name. How unusual!" Caleb said. "I guess I've just gotten used to Scarlet No-Name."

"Haha, very funny," Scarlet said dryly. "Aren't you going to call the rest of them out? We've got a job to do, you know. The sooner we get organized, the better."

"Yeah, yeah," Caleb said. He cupped his hands to his mouth and began to create the same chirping noise I had heard just a few seconds before. He did it about three times, ending with a particularly high one.

All around me, I sensed movement. Small figures began to emerge from the side alleys. As I got a good look at them, I began to notice their raggedy clothes and wild hair. They were all younger than me.

Scarlet reached into the sack and pulled out all the blankets. She handed the bag to me and whispered, "Hand them out."

The kids began to approach me, looking on with fearful eyes. Some of them walked straight up to Scarlet and accepted the blankets she handed them. I pulled out a loaf of bread and beckoned to the nearest child. He stared back at me with his eyes wide open.

"It's okay," Caleb assured them. "She's okay. Right, Scarlet?"

"Meh," Scarlet said. "She won't hurt them, if that's what you mean."

The boy—who had to be around eight years old—straightened. He approached with confidence and accepted the bread. One by one the children walked up to me and I handed them the loaves. There couldn't have been more than twenty that were standing around.

Once they all had bread, Caleb came up and grabbed a loaf. Scarlet walked up and handed Caleb and I blankets, taking a loaf of bread for herself. I took the last piece of bread and placed the empty flour sack nearby.

The three of us sat down against the wall. To my relief, Scarlet sat between Caleb and me. This whole thing was still a little strange.

"To answer your question," Scarlet said as she swallowed a bite of bread, "this is where we'll be staying tonight, Aspen."

"And where is here?" I asked meekly.

"Our home," Caleb replied to me. "We're all orphans here, Aspen. Children without a home to call our own." He glanced around Scarlet at me and his blue eyes locked with mine. "We're family back here."

A little girl ran up to Caleb and tugged on his sleeve. She rubbed her stomach.

"Sorry Lizzie," Caleb said sadly. "This is all they brought for us."

The girl frowned.

I looked down at the loaf of bread in my hand, only half-finished. _I just ate a few hours ago. _"Um, Lizzie?" I said. She turned to look at me, blinking her brandy-brown eyes slowly. "Here."

The girl advanced, looking at me incredulously. She shook her head.

"Really, you can have it. I'm not hungry."

Lizzie glanced at Caleb. He gave her an encouraging smile. With a tiny, doll-like hand, she reached out and grabbed the end of the bread. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. She darted off, running back to another little girl sitting across the alley.

"You have a good heart, Aspen," Caleb said.

"I'm impressed," Scarlet added.

"How old is she?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off the red-haired child.

"We think six," Caleb told me. "She hasn't said a word since we found her. She spelled out her name in the dirt for us; that's the only reason we know it. We found her curled up in an old box, too sick to even move."

"That's sad," I murmured.

"Sad, yes," the boy said mournfully. "But not unusual."

Scarlet glanced down at her watch and, before I could say anything to Caleb, commented, "It's almost nine forty-five. Wanna get them rounded up?"

"Sure." Caleb swallowed his last bite of his bread and stood up. "Everyone gather around!"

Seventeen kids ran up and gathered around Caleb. Most of them seemed to be under the age of ten. Their arms were like sticks and not a single one of them was wearing shoes.

"Everyone here knows Scarlet," Caleb said in a voice that was just loud enough to announce but not loud enough to be heard anywhere else in the alley. "This other young lady is Aspen Summers. She will be helping us." He glanced at me and the corners of his mouth turned up as if in a smile. "A lot, I hope."

A few of the kids murmured shy greetings before Caleb continued. "Tatiana and Wesley, please help the others get settled down. Naomi, Kirsten, and Peter, come here so we can set up a watch. The rest of you . . . well, it's time for bed."

A girl and boy who looked to be about ten began herding the young children towards the walls, making sure they had their blankets. A boy and two girls just a year or two younger than me came up.

"I call watch with Scarlet!" one of them said, raising her hand.

"Of course you do," Scarlet said with a smug grin. "Naomi and I will take second watch."

"Can I go with Peter?" Kirsten said timidly. From the looks of it, Kirsten and Peter appeared to be siblings. Probably even twins. "We can take first."

"Guess that leaves me and Aspen," Caleb said. He turned to me. "You okay with that?"

"Sure, I guess," I replied. "But what are we doing?"

"Night watch," Peter piped up. "It lasts three hours per group."

"We keep an eye out to make sure no bionics come," Scarlet explained. "We do it in shifts."

"It's even better on Monday nights when you guys are here," Naomi added. "Then there are more people."

"We don't let the little kids do night watch," Kirsten explained shyly. "They're too young."

"If the motion sensors detect approaching bionics," Caleb told me, "we wake up everyone else and either run or hide. The two of us can take the last shift: three to six."

"But wait, the shifts don't even out that way," I said. My super-intelligence had determined a miscalculation in their math. "One shift only has two hours."

"Nope," Scarlet scoffed. "First shift already started. It's from nine to twelve. It's considered the shortest since they don't usually go to bed till around ten. That's why Kirsten and Peter are taking the first watch."

Kirsten mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"That's how we want it to work," Caleb assured them. "You guys are only twelve. You're the youngest night watchers. As you get older, you can take on longer shifts."

"I've already got the sensors," Peter said, completely oblivious to the conversation just a few seconds ago. He almost reminded me of Uncle Adam. He had that same aloof, carefree look in his eye. "Should we go, sis?"

Kirsten nodded mutely and the two of them headed down the alley together.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"If I were you," Caleb said as he picked up my blanket and handed it to me, "I'd get some sleep."

* * *

><p>Something poked my side, and I tried to swat it away. It persisted, poking me harder. I groaned. Then a thought popped into my brain. <em>Where in the world am I? <em>I wasn't in bed. The ground was hard. There was only a thin blanket on top of me.

Then it dawned on me. _Restwater. Scarlet. The orphans. The alleys._

I cracked open my eyes to see Scarlet staring into my face, one eyebrow raised. "It's your watch," she whispered, poking me again.

"Where's Caleb?" I asked as I sat up.

"Naomi's getting him," she whispered. "Listen, you've got that whole bionic sixth-sense-thingy; use it. You can't let any bionics come near here."

I nodded as I stood up, the blanket wrapped around me. A few yards away, another figure was getting up. Caleb and Naomi approached.

"Thanks, Scarlet," Caleb hissed. "Get some rest, you two. You deserve it."

The others nodded silently and went to go sleep. Caleb motioned for me to follow him. We walked to the entrance of their little alley. He showed me a staircase along the side of the building. It led up to a small platform, but no door. There wasn't any railing.

We ascended the stairs and sat on the edge of the platform at the top. We were only about seven feet off the ground. From there we had a great vantage point over all the sleeping kids.

Caleb turned on a motion sensor and placed it by his leg. He handed one to me and I did the same. Not that I needed it, of course, but it was still great to have a backup.

"All right, you're new," Caleb said quietly. "So I suppose I should give you the little 'speech.'"

"You're going to tell me everything I'm doing wrong?" I sighed. "You're going to try to explain to me how it works?"

Caleb turned and gazed right at me. "No," he said gently. "I want to say thank you."

I cocked my head and squinted.

"I really appreciate it," he continued. "_They _appreciate it. We wouldn't be alive without people like you. The Defiance members seem to be the only ones who actually care. Other rebellions just want their way. The Sovereign . . ." Caleb let loose a dry laugh. "Well that goes without saying."

"You guys just wander around the back of the city?" I asked.

"Yup. Out of view and away from everyone else—particularly bionics. Do you know what they would do if they found us?"

"No," I said honestly.

Caleb smiled a bit. "You really don't? Okay then. Well, there are a few things that could happen. First, they could just kill us on the spot. Second, they could kidnap us and take us away. Technically we don't know what happens to those who are taken away, but I have a feeling I know. More than a feeling, actually." Caleb's face became dark.

"What's your theory?" I asked. I felt a chill go down my spine. This couldn't be good.

"The Sovereign carts them away . . . and makes them bionic." Caleb glared at the wall several yards away from us. "I know because I've seen it. An . . . an old friend. He tried to kill me and everything. The Sovereign takes them away and completely warps their minds. I don't know how, but he changes them. The bionics are the key."

"Why does he even hate you so much? You guys specifically?"

"Because we don't have parents."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Without parents, we have no way to pay for school. Or homes. Or food. Or anything else. Some kids get lucky. They go to live with family or friends. But the rest of us . . ."—he waved his arms towards the sleeping forms of the kids—". . . we're left to fend for ourselves. The Sovereign thinks we're dangerous, so he does everything he can to 'eradicate' us."

"How much worse can this guy get? It's like he's not even human."

"Some people think he isn't."

"You're joking!"

"No, really. You hear a lot of wild things back here. There are all kinds of theories. Some people think he's a robot or an alien or something. I've heard some people guessing that he and his 'son' are just robots made to look like humans. What are they called? Um . . . androids. I think that's it."

I shuddered. "That's creepy. But it might explain a lot."

"I honestly don't know." Caleb shrugged. "They're just some of the wild ideas that go around here. All I know is that The Sovereign is a terrible person . . . or thing or robot or whatever. And his stupid bionic soldiers aren't any better."

For just a second, I paused. "You know, I'm bionic too." Somehow I felt obligated to share that with him. It shouldn't be a secret. Not here.

Caleb raised an eyebrow and started to slide away from me. "Don't worry; I'm not evil," I assured him. "My mom is bionic, and my grandpa helped create them. That's how. But The Sovereign doesn't control me."

"Ah, Summers!" he said. A smile spread across his face. "As in Bree Summers. You've got Davenport blood in those veins, huh?"

"Yup, and proud of it!" I replied with a grin.

"As well you should be. The Davenports started the Defiance; they're the only reason all of us are still alive today."

I turned to look at Caleb. "You're fifteen, aren't you?"

"Turned it last month," he replied.

"You should join the Defiance."

Caleb chuckled. "I've thought about it many times."

"Why don't you?"

"Because my duty lies with them." He looked out over the sleeping figures below us. I saw his face soften a bit. "I already told you, Aspen: they're like family to me. We've got no one else in this world, but we've got each other. I will be _eternally _grateful to the Defiance for all your help, but I could never join you. I'll let you keep doing your thing and I'll keep doing mine: watching out for my pack."

"That's so noble of you."

"Hey, what can I say?" Caleb shrugged.

"You've a very gentlemanly boy."

"Thank you."

"I wouldn't have expected that."

"No, I don't think you would've. But hey, I used to have a home and a family just like you."

"Really?"

"Well of course, really! But I don't anymore. One thing that's very important in this life, Aspen, is that we don't dwell too much on the past. Because if you're too busy looking back, you'll never get the chance to see what's right in front of you; what might even be better."

Caleb turned to face me and I found myself staring into his pale blue eyes. There was so much courage there. I could truly respect that. He looked after his friends—his family, he called them—to the best of his ability. That strong sense of duty gave me a bit of hope for the world.

The next few hours were dotted with random conversations and lengthy silence. Caleb told me about all the kids that were in their little group. None of them had parents. Some had homes at one point or another, some didn't. They had all banded together in a "dog-eat-dog world," as Caleb put it. They were friends; best friends; _family_. It was sweet to hear.

After one particularly long silence, Caleb stood up and grinned. He pointed to a patch of sunlight that was hitting the ground. "We don't see much of that," he murmured. He grabbed his sensor and hopped off of the edge. I chose to go down the stairs.

The boy was standing by the sunlight and sticking his hand into it with all the joy of a young child. "It's usually so dark back here," he said as I approached. "Sunlight is a rare thing."

"It's beautiful."

"We made it to the morning. No bionic attacks."

"How often do they find you?"

"Not too often, if we're careful. Maybe once or twice a week. Then we just run. It's not too bad." Caleb looked up. He glanced past me and his grin got wider.

I turned and saw Lizzie standing behind me. She went over near Caleb and stared at the patch of sunlight. She glanced up at me, then back at the light. She smiled shyly and walked a bit closer.

"She wants you to give her a hug," Caleb said mirthfully.

"Oh, uh, okay," I said. I got down on my knees and stretched out my arms. Lizzie ran into them, embracing my neck with her bony arms. I patted her back gently, afraid that if I hit her too hard she would fall apart.

As I looked over the young girl's shoulder, I saw Caleb smiling at me. He mouthed two words: _Thank you._

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><p><strong>So that's where they went. They were feeding orphans. How sweet. :3<strong>

**1. Caspen, anyone? XD Hey, I needed some kind of slight romance! So, _do_ you ship Caleb and Aspen? (This chapter is about as romantic as this story gets, by the way.)**

**2. Do you mind all the OCs I have? I know some people don't like them, but I really don't know what to do, since it's the future. If you're fine with the OCs, who's your favorite so far?**

**3. Any new ideas about The Sovereign? Hate him more? Less? Don't care? Any new theories about who he is? (You guys seem to have a lot of those.)**

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><p><strong>PrincessSparkleKitty: Nope. It was for the homeless kiddies. :3 I agree; that's why I wanted to include the guy. XD Aw, well, I hope you get your McDonald's soon! XD Thanks for the review!<strong>

**PurpleNicole531: I'm glad you like reading about their "adventures!" :D They're going to have a lot more in the future! Oh, my minions so love doing gymnastics with Stella. Look at you guys, being so friendly!  
>Minions: *dangle Stella, who is gagged, over the Pit of Doom threateningly*<br>Thanks for reviewing! :D**

**ungerlover: Honestly, I ****_loved _****your theory that it was Scarlet's family. That was amazing. Sorry, it was wrong, but it was still amazing! Haha, I'm glad you loved that guy! He was so much fun to write. XD Whoa, I didn't realize I was using so many words that started with S. XD Thanks!**

**RandomGirl: You were the closest in your guess! Congratulations! :D I'm so glad that you got an account now! And that you found Kenny. I'm working on getting the story out of him, don't worry! Thanks for the review! HFDSR!**

**Tor Raptor: That's an interesting ambition. XD Haha, yup, the world went a long time ago. Thanks for reviewing!**

**TheMichiganWriter: I twisted it! :D I love doing that! Ah, I finally returned. So yay! Here's your update, and thanks for the review!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Thanks for pointing that out! I'll fix it later. When I read that statement I thought of Chase at the end of Leo vs. Evil. "Right, and then all the little elves came out and did a moon dance around the bonfire." XD Thanks for reviewing!**

**daphrose fan: Well, I reappeared! Yay! :D Haha! You must have strange classmates. O.o Thanks for the review!**

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><p><strong>And this concludes my mass update. I hope you guys enjoyed all my stories! I'm not very busy anymore, so I hopefully should be able to update more often. And I'm still trying to catch up on PMs and reviewing stories, so please bear with me!<strong>

**By the way, I have a new thing on my profile called "Song of the Day" that I want to do for 2015. I already have info about it up on my profile, so I would appreciate it if you could check it out and either review or PM me and let me know what you think of it. I'd like to know if people would want me to do it or not. Thanks!**

**Tune in next time for Chapter 11: Yesterday Is History. By the way, chapter 11 is the first chapter that officially has The Sovereign in it. He talks and everything! You guys excited? (Don't expect too much, though. I plan to keep the mystery going for quite a while. ;) ) See you in a few days/weeks! Bye!**


	11. Chapter 11: Yesterday Is History

**Hey hey everyone! I'm back again! :D Got chapter 14 finished last night, so here's chapter 11 for y'all to read. I'm actually ****_really _****proud of it. And it's the first chapter with The Sovereign! Sort of. Kind of. You'll see what I mean.**

**Before we do that, however. I have some news. Good or bad? I don't know yet. The next Lab Rats episode is set to come out January 26th. The title? "Rise of the Secret Soldiers." Awesome, right? I'm excited! However, I have already created a history for We Deserve Freedom, and any deviations from that history would change the story drastically. Meaning? Chances are that on January 26th, We Deserve Freedom will officially become an AU. Now, we'll have to see what happens and if it ****_could _****fit, but I don't know yet. I'm just warning you all now. However . . . new episode! AWESOME! :D**

**Chapter eleven soundtrack: "Hold Me Now" by Red. Oh my gosh, I love this song. I listened to it over and over again while writing this chapter. I ****_highly _****suggest listening to it while you read. It goes ****_perfectly_****.**

**I don't know where the saying originally came from, but I got it from Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." That's where the title of this chapter came from. Keep that quote in mind while reading.**

**I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 11: Yesterday Is History * * *<strong>

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><p>Scarlet and I said our goodbyes at approximately eight o'clock. We let the kids keep the flour sack in case they needed it for anything. Lizzie hugged me one more time and Caleb said "thank you" out loud. The other kids mumbled their shy thanks or flashed gap-toothed grins at us.<p>

As my mentor and I headed down the alley, curiosity began to well up inside of me. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her about all the children we had met. I turned to face Scarlet as we went along.

"Will they be safe now?"

"Yes, they'll be fine. The Bionic Army doesn't patrol as much here during the daytime. Those kids have been running and hiding for years; they won't have any problems now."

"Why does the Defiance only help on Monday?"

"The kids don't want us helping any more than that. These guys have a certain mentality, Aspen. They _want _to fend for themselves. But we find food and bring it to them every week so they'll stay alive for just a little bit longer."

"Some of them were so little."

Scarlet sighed. "I know. They don't deserve any of this."

"Absolutely not. I'm glad I can help."

"Me too. I'm proud to say that I've been a part of it for five years now."

I nodded. Maybe Scarlet wasn't so bad after all. She actually had a heart somewhere deep beneath that icy-cold exterior. That was something I could respect. Suddenly, though, something clicked in my mind.

"Five years?" I repeated.

"Yup, since I first came to join the Defiance."

"Five years?"

"Yes, Aspen."

"_Five _years?"

"Ugh, what's your point? You sound like a busted Musiccom. Spit it out!"

"You're nineteen."

"Yes, and?"

"You joined the Defiance when you were fourteen years old."

There was a pause for a few seconds. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"My mom runs the Defiance," I said slowly, trying not to get angry. "I know their rules. You have to be fifteen, and that has _always _been the rule."

"Very true," Scarlet replied evenly.

"Then how in the world could you have joined when you were only fourteen? That's so not fair!"

"Look here," Scarlet growled. "Don't you dare start your whining, because I do not want to hear it! I joined when I was fourteen because of terrible circumstances that you could _never _be in and that you would never _want _to be in."

"What circumstances?"

"Like I'm telling you," she scoffed. "Remember our chat a few days ago about how I'm not obligated to share personal information? Yeah, well, this is about as personal as it gets. I joined the Defiance a few months early, yes. But it was because I didn't have any other choice."

Somehow I knew it would be best not to push Scarlet any further. So instead I kept my gaze straight in front of. My cheeks burned and I wondered how in the world my mom could've let anyone—let alone Scarlet—into the rebellion at a younger age. And why not me? I've known about the Defiance for years, aka all my life, and yet I still had to follow the rules and join when I was fifteen.

"This part of town is pretty poor," Scarlet said in a flat voice as we neared the end of the alley. I could see the people walking along in the streets. "We're very close to the edge of town. The bionics don't pay as much attention here. Keep you hood angled so it's covering your face and don't do anything to draw attention to yourself. Got it?"

"Got it."

The two of us stepped out onto the busy sidewalk and my heart skipped a beat. Would the bionics come for us? There were so many other people around—most of them wearing the same kind of hoods—that hopefully they wouldn't pay us any mind. _Hopefully_.

We walked along silently in the mass of people. I hugged my arms tight around me and took a few deep breaths. _Don't look suspicious. Don't act suspicious. You're just a tourist who spent the night in a hotel like everyone else. There's no reason to be afraid. Don't draw attention to yourself._

Glancing up and looking around, I discovered that I could see the pointy spires on The Sovereign's "castle" far in the distance. It still gave me the chills to look at. There he sat, above all the city, looking down at us with his menacing gaze.

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><p><em>"Clear them all out! Destroy them! Leave <em>no _survivors!"_

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><p>I placed a hand to my head and groaned at the sudden memory. Scarlet glanced down at me. "Are you okay, Jay?" she asked gently.<p>

"Um, fine," I said. "Just a slight headache."

What was that all about? I tried to grab hold of the memory, but it was slipping away. Something from when I was young; very young. But what? Who said that? I looked back up at the spires of The Sovereign's residence.

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><p><em>"You can't hide forever, you blasted Davenports!"<em>

_The large, menacing figure walked through the doorway. He was clad in all black, and his face was twisted with anger and rage._

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><p>After a few minutes, we began to cross a small bridge over the water. Cars drove slowly just to the left of us. I stared out at the crisp blue water and bit my lip. Thoughts were whirling through my mind at a hundred miles per hour for no obvious reason. Sometimes I hated my bionic brain.<p>

At the end of the bridge there was a small tollbooth. Scarlet pulled out the IDs and pressed them against a mechanical sensor. It chirped and we pushed our way through the bar and walked out onto the road.

"Where to now?" I asked.

"Just keep walking for a little ways," Scarlet told me. "There's a town up ahead I want to visit."

So we continued to walk alongside the road for a long time. Soon there were fewer cars beside us and lots of trees to our right. Everything was silent except for the beautiful sounds of nature: birds whistling in the trees; leaves shaking in the wind; bees buzzing around the flowers. It was an amazing day.

Whatever memories had been plaguing me in Restwater seemed to slip from my mind. I decided to just ignore it. My bionics caused some weird things sometimes; maybe it was just a glitch. If it persisted, I would ask my grandpa later.

Soon we came to the edge of a town. Scarlet and I walked into it silently, slipping in with the people walking down the sidewalk. The city seemed cozy enough; the shops were small and a couple of people we passed grinned at us. It wasn't very big, but it wasn't tiny either.

Scarlet led me to a small bus stop. She sat down on the bench and patted the seat beside her. I obliged. Within a few minutes, the bus pulled up. It was definitely old; the transport systems were one thing The Sovereign hadn't taken much interest in keeping up-to-date. I climbed into the bright blue vehicle.

There weren't many people on board, even though it was a large bus. Scarlet led me to the back. I grabbed the seat next to the window, and she sat beside me. Soon the bus began to move again.

I tried to stifle a yawn as we went along. Scarlet noticed and said, "You can take a nap, if you want. We had a long day yesterday."

I knew she really meant last night, but the security cameras around us had to be fooled. "Thanks," I mumbled, speaking for the first time since we had left Restwater.

It was mightily hard to get comfortable on the hard bus seat, but I managed it. My head rested on the window and I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

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><p><em>There was a lot of shouting. A young girl—very young, probably only two or three—stood in the corner. People were running, and all she wanted was to find her family. They had to be here somewhere.<em>

_The girl went against everyone else, slipping between legs and ignoring shouts for her to come back. She needed to find her parents. They were here somewhere._

_As she peered around the corner, she saw a very frightening sight. Out in the large space that they usually gathered in, there were a few people who were fighting each other. She knew that some of them were friends, but a lot of them had on black clothes that made them look scary. The girl couldn't see her parents, but she knew they were here somewhere._

_Then through one of the side doors came a figure that made the girl cringe. He stood tall, looking over the fighting with a scrutinizing gaze. He looked dark and very, very . . . evil, the girl decided. He was shouting loudly and made her want to cover her ears._

_Then he shouted her mother's name. She perked up. What did this evil-looking man want with her mom?_

_As the girl searched for her mom in the crowd, someone just as comforting ran up: her dad._

_"What are you doing here?" he breathed out, too tired to even say his daughter's name. "Come on, let's go."_

_He scooped her up and started running through the halls. "Momma!" she said, struggling against the warm hold of her father._

_"Mommy will come, sweetie," he said gently as he patted his daughter's back. "She'll come."_

_"Mommy!" the girl wailed._

_"Shh, shh," her father soothed her. "Just be patient. Mommy will come."_

_The girl looked up into her father's dark brown eyes that reminded her of chocolate candies. Usually he looked so brave, and he still did. But there was also a lot of fear. It made her heart start beating harder. What did that evil man want with her mommy?_

_They kept running down the hall, but suddenly a loud sound echoed through the underground structure. Everything around them began to shake, and her father was sent sprawling to his knees. He kept his daughter above him, making sure she didn't get hurt._

_The father and daughter lay there on the ground for a few seconds as everything continued shaking. Then the girl heard her name being called. She turned to see her mom running awkwardly towards them._

_"Are you okay?" she asked breathlessly._

_The girl's dad sat up and nodded dazedly. "Are you all right?" he asked in a concerned tone as he stood up._

_Her mom nodded. "I set off a few bombs. That ought to keep them busy for a little while. The rest of the recruits took the other way out. We thought if we split up, they'd have a harder time finding us. But we still need to get out of here, and fast."_

_"You're hurt, Mommy," the girl said, pointing to the dark red blood that ran down her mom's left leg._

_"I'm okay, sweetie," she said. "We can worry about that later. Let's get out of here."_

_The girl grabbed her dad's hand. He used the other arm to support her mom as they continued running through the tunnel, trying to catch up to everyone who had already left._

_Without warning, the tunnels began to shake again. The girl let out a shriek as the ground shifted beneath her feet and the ceiling above them began to crack. All of a sudden, it caved down on them. The girl jumped aside and covered her eyes._

_When she opened them, she was shocked to see that her dad's legs were buried under a pile of rubble. "Daddy!" she yelled even as her mom was trying to dig him out._

_"You can't keep running! I will find you!" a voice down the hall shouted. Her mom's face paled and she worked even harder to pull out her husband._

_"No, it's no use," he coughed. "Go on, Bree, get out of here."_

_"No, I am not leaving you!" her mom said forcefully._

_"Bree, the world needs you a heck of a lot more than it needs me." His eyes wandered to the girl. "Aspen needs you too. Go on, Bree. Take our daughter and get out of here. I'll be fine."_

_"Are you kidding?" her mom hissed. "The Sovereign will kill you!"_

_"And it will keep him distracted for just long enough," her father persisted. "Go on! You don't have much time! Hurry!"_

_"Daddy," the little girl whimpered._

_"You be a good girl for your mommy, Aspen," he said as he looked her in the eyes. "Promise Daddy that you'll be a good girl."_

_She nodded weakly. "I will."_

_Her mom scooped her up in her arms. She began a limping run around the corner. She began to break into super-speed, but not before the girl heard the menacing voice of the evil man say, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"_

_The world rushed by in a blur. The girl tried to scream for her daddy, but it was no use. In a few moments, they were outside. Her mom placed her on the ground._

_"I'm going back," her mom said bravely._

_"Are you crazy?" another man said. He stormed up and grabbed her mom's arm. "You can't go back there!"_

_"I don't care! Watch my daughter, Adam. I have to save Preston!" Before the man could protest anymore, her mom broke free from his grasp and ran at full-speed back underground._

_Her uncle bent down and picked her up. "I'm scared," she mumbled, knowing how good her uncle was at comforting people._

_"I know," he said absentmindedly. "I am too. Your mom is crazy. Even _I _wouldn't do something like that."_

_The girl glanced around. Other people were standing there, trying to catch their breath. They were all friends; a few were people very close to her. She wondered where they would go next. A few people—including her grandpa and other uncle—were standing around, and it looked as if they were talking about exactly that._

_A few seconds later, her mom returned. She collapsed onto the grass with a groan. Her uncle put the girl down and knelt beside his sister._

_"That's a really nasty wound, Bree," he said gently, pointing to her mom's leg. The red drops fell from it and stained the grass._

_Her mom shook her head. "I don't care!" The girl could see the tears that were streaming down her mom's face. "I wasn't fast enough. _I _wasn't fast enough. Why on earth do people keep sacrificing their lives for me?" She groaned and fell flat on her back, staring up at the sky._

_"Mommy!" the girl squealed. "She okay? She okay?"_

_"Shh, it's fine, it's fine, Aspen," her uncle said quietly. "She will be okay. Leo! Mr. Davenport!"_

_Her grandpa and other uncle ran over, but all the girl could focus on were her mom's glazed over eyes. She got down beside the woman, laying her head gently on her chest. She listened to her mom's heartbeat and let the tears flow out of her eyes._

_Her mom's arm moved up and wrapped around her daughter. "Be okay," the girl whimpered. "Be okay."_

_She kept expecting her daddy to come up and give her a big bear hug. Daddy could always take the pain away. Where was he, anyway?_

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><p>I jerked awake, my breathing harsh and my eyes wide. Scarlet glanced over at me. I thought I saw concern in her eyes, but it must have just been my blurry vision from waking up.<p>

"Nightmare?" she asked me.

"Something like that," I mumbled. I turned to look out at the town we were passing through. In the window I could see my reflection. My dark brown eyes—which looked like chocolate candies—stared back at me. Mom said I got them from Dad. Surely that couldn't be true. There was something missing—the bravery. The bravery that I knew so well; the bravery that had perished to save my life.

An announcement came over the speaker system, and Scarlet stood up. "But this is Riverdale," I pointed out.

"I know; that's why we're getting off," my mentor said evenly.

I mentally shrugged and stood up. We got off the bus and Scarlet began to lead me towards another alley. She glanced around quickly before pulling me into it. We walked deeper into the alleys and Scarlet paused in front of a brick wall.

"No security cameras back here either?" I asked.

"Nope. Riverdale is a _really _small town, so there aren't that many bionics. We're safer here than in Brooks. Plus, we can still get to the base from here."

Scarlet pressed a few different bricks, and I realized that this must be similar to our basement. Sure enough, the wall slid away and Scarlet pulled me into a dimly lit tunnel. There was another door just a few feet away with a keypad on it. My mentor typed in a _long _sequence of numbers and we were permitted to enter.

"Look familiar?" Scarlet asked with a smirk as we went into a long tunnel that sloped downwards.

"It looks like the entrance from our house . . . sort of."

"You didn't think everyone entered the base through your house, did you?"

"Of course not." I rolled my eyes. "I just never knew where the other entrances were."

"There are a few of them. Sometimes we destroy them and build new ones when we think the bionics are onto us. But this is the only Defiance base that has lasted for more than a few years. We're hiding right under the nose of The Sovereign here."

We came up to another large, metal wall. Scarlet typed in another code in a pad on the wall, just like my mom always had to do. "Authorizing Aspen Chasity Summers. Authorizing Scarlet." The computer made a slight static noise.

"It hates me because I don't have a full name," Scarlet said with a chuckle.

"You could just give it one . . ."

"Quit that! I don't _have _a full name!" Scarlet snapped. "I never did!" I scowled.

The doors opened and we charged through. I glanced around at the familiar tunnels of Defiance Base 15672. We were home.

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><p><strong>How was that? I'm really proud of this chapter. So The Sovereign was in it . . . in a flashbackdream sequence. Sorry if that disappointed you. :P And by the way, I think Aspen could remember all that. She has super intelligence, so even if she was three, I think she could remember.**

**1. What's up with Scarlet being only fourteen when she joined the Defiance? Any guesses about why that happened?**

**2. Did I make anyone cry with that flashback/dream? Or if you didn't cry, did I at least make you feel some emotion?**

**3. What do you think of Preston (Aspen's dad)? I know there wasn't a whole lot to go off of, but I'm curious about what you think.**

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><p><strong>LabGirl2001: Thanks! Yup, Lizzie was meant to be really cute. :P<strong>

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Yes I am! :D Thanks! I think they're cute too. ;) I'm glad you like him! He'll be back; don't worry. I'd be surprised if you liked The Sovereign. XD He ****_is _****my villain, after all. Thanks for reviewing!**

**TheMichiganWriter: I know, right? My friend taught be about ships before I joined fanfiction, and Brase I learned about from the Lab Rats wiki. But yeah, fanfiction talk is ****_strange_****! XD It took a while for me to learn it all! Oh my gosh, I used to ****_love _****the Boxcar Children! I haven't read those books in years! I love stories like that too, which is why I added it in. Thanks!**

**MrMuddyPaws10221: Aw, thanks for such an in-depth review! :D You're right about it being an initiative for future actions. I've got many plans! I'm glad that you like my OCs. I try not to make them Mary-Sue-ish. They're humans too. :) Oh, thanks for pointing that out! I'm still getting the hang of that rule. :P I appreciate it! Funny you should mention Hitler. (Here comes a super-special fun fact!) When The Sovereign was younger, he used to be ****_obsessed _****with world powerful leaders and dictators like Hitler, Stalin, etc. Now wonder he turned out to be one. XD Oh, I love long reviews! It makes me so happy when people take the time to tell me what they thought. :) Thank you so much for all your kind words! :D**

**PurpleNicole531: I'll save you, Donald! *looks into the Pit of Doom* Uh, no, I won't, actually! XD I'm glad you liked them! Thanks for the review!**

**HawiianChick12: Here you go!**

**RandomGirlPerson: Wuh-oh. O.O What confused you? I'm sorry.**

**ungerlover: Thank you, it's good to be back! :D Aw, well, I'm glad I could hit home for you. :) Yes, it's sad, but at least they are good people out there willing to help! Oh, I'm so glad you felt that, even with so little romance. XD That's great! I try to make my OCs interesting. Oh my gosh, I've known, like, seven Calebs in my life! My best friend as a toddler was named Caleb. We thought we were going to grow up and get married. XD Then he moved 2000 miles away. I haven't seen him since I was seven. XD Ah, new theory about The Sovereign, hmm? ;) Well, I can't tell you if you're right yet or not. You'll have to see! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Slurp: Oh, no, that chapter was ****_far _****from filler, I assure you. Thanks for reviewing! %ohyesirememberthis %imissourpmstoo %ohwellwhatcanyoudo Caspen's already a go. ;) I try not to have ****_too _****many . . . I can't keep track of dozens of characters. Aha, yes you do. ;) Here's that update!**

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><p><strong>Such long author's notes with all these replies. XD Oh well. I like talking to you guys!<strong>

**By the way, I've started a new contest for Lab Rats authors! It's to write an Evil Eddy story. More information is on my profile. The contest will be running all month. PM me if you're interested in doing it. I'd love to see what you do!**

**Next chapter, you'll learn a bit more about The Sovereign from none other than Bree Allison Davenport Summers herself! :D And for those of you who want to know precisely how Chase died, you'll learn that as well. Reviews are appreciated, like always. Thanks to all for reading. See you on Chapter 12: Scars Fade Slowly. Bye!**


	12. Chapter 12: Scars Fade Slowly

**Hey y'all! I'm back already! I just finished chapter 15, so why not post chapter 12? No sense in making you wait, right? (And I may also be trying to make up for the fact that I've been gone all month. ^^;)**

**By the way, I've posted a few quizzes on my profile, if you'd like to check them out! One is for We Deserve Freedom, chapters 1-11. If you've been paying close attention, you just might do well on the quiz!**

**Chapter 12 soundtrack: "Don't Wake Me" by Skillet. Yeah, another Skillet song. They're one of my favorite bands, so get used to it! This song goes well with the angsty, missing-someone theme that is prevalent in this chapter.**

**I won't keep you waiting any longer. I know you all want to know about The Sovereign. I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 12: Scars Fade Slowly * * *<strong>

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><p>The brown clothes hung limply around my body as I exited the locker rooms. I probably could've just gone home to take a shower, but I didn't feel like heading all the way back to my house. It was easiest just to use the bathrooms in the dorms.<p>

After Scarlet and I had gotten back from Restwater, we had spent the rest of the day training. Mostly it was practice with my sixth sense—which Scarlet seemed quite fascinated with—although my mentor also taught me how to use a ray pistol. All in all, it had been a tiring day, and after a long night, I was exhausted. It wasn't over yet, though.

"Hey, hey, kiddo!" Uncle Adam called as I passed by in him in the hallway.

"Hey, Uncle Adam. What's up?"

"Nothing much. Scarlet told us that your mission went well."

"Yeah, it did. I think it was great that we got to help all those people. You guys do a good thing."

"Absolutely. Every Monday we send out two people to help the kids who need it. Caleb and his group are sweet, aren't they?"

"Yes. And they're so little, too. So innocent. How could The Sovereign want to hurt them?"

Uncle Adam's face became grave. "I wouldn't know. He's just a lunatic, I guess."

"I guess you're right."

"What other plans do you have for tonight?"

"I'm not really sure. Is Mom coming?"

"Um, yeah, I would assume so. She usually does. It's almost six, so it will probably be another two hours, at least."

"Adam! Adam!" Uncle Leo called as he ran up. "The team from Creekside just returned."

"And?"

"_And _one of them got captured!"

"That's . . . not good."

"No, not at all." Uncle Leo shook his head. "You need to come talk to them." My uncles began to head down the hall.

"Can I come?" I asked, jogging after them.

"No!" Uncle Leo snapped.

I stopped in my tracks, a bit stunned. Uncle Leo paused too, biting his lip.

"I mean, uh, no, Aspen," he said a bit more gently. "This is something that we need to handle. But thank you."

I stood in the middle of the hall as they took off. When I finally turned around in defeat, I was surprised to see that Scarlet was standing behind me. She was leaning on the wall, a mirthful look on her face.

"Well, they certainly shot you down," she said with a chuckle.

"Not funny," I growled.

Scarlet's face got a bit more serious. She walked up to me. "Hey, look, kid, this isn't something you want to get involved in. A capturing is a huge deal. If The Sovereign learns anything about us, he'll find us and kill us all, no questions asked. Leave this to your uncles. They know what to do."

"I just wanted to help," I muttered under my breath.

"Maybe that's part of your problem," Scarlet replied. "You_ can't _help, Aspen. Your enthusiasm is great, but sometimes there's just nothing you can do." She patted my shoulder—albeit a bit awkwardly—and continued, "I'm heading off to the cafeteria for dinner. Wanna join me?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

Scarlet shrugged. "Suit yourself. See you later, kid."

I turned and attempted to stifle a yawn. Boy, was I tired. The hot shower had helped, but my limbs were still aching for something only a soft bed would satisfy. Could I stay up for two hours until my mom came? No, my body decided.

Finally I turned back to the dorms. My mom's room was always open to me; I knew that. And her bed in there sounded so comfortable right now . . .

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><p>My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I saw was the blinking clock by the bed. It was several years old, but somehow it still functioned. The display showed that it was nearly nine o'clock. I rolled over and rubbed my eyes, sitting up underneath the warm red sheets.<p>

"That's better," I mumbled. Energy had returned to my muscles and I felt ready to face the day . . . er, night.

Out in the hallway there were the typical number of Defiance recruits bustling about. I straightened my shirt and my hair as I walked along, trying to make myself look at least moderately presentable.

As I rounded the corner, I found my Grandma and Grandpa discussing something quietly. I greeted them and they grinned at me.

"Has Mom come in yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, she came down here about an hour ago," Grandpa Donald said. "I think she's in room 102 doing a bit of training."

"Thanks."

"Are you okay, Aspen?" Grandma Tasha asked gently.

"Fine, fine," I sighed. "I just . . . I want to talk to Mom. Thanks. Bye."

My grandparents muttered confused farewells before turning back to their conversation. I suppose I had been a bit cryptic. I had been feeling awfully out-of-it since my dream on the bus. It was almost as if the present and the past had completely blurred, and I couldn't tell which was which. It was driving me nuts.

After a bit of wandering down various hallways, I finally found room 102. It was my mom's favorite room to practice in. It had a large track around the outside where she could run laps with her super-speed. Coming up now, however, I could tell that that wasn't what she was doing.

I entered to see my mother in the middle of the room. She was grunting as she hit the punching bag in front of her. Her brown hair had been tied back into a loose ponytail and she was wearing workout clothes that looked like the kind that were around when she was a kid.

Looking closely, I could see the faint red line that ran up the outside of my mom's left leg and disappeared into her shorts. Whenever she walked, there was the slightest hesitation; the slightest limp. I gulped and stepped closer.

"Mom?" I said, making my presence known.

Mom whirled around, loose strands of hair stuck to her sweaty face. She gave a forced grin and turned back to her punching bag. "Hello Aspen," she greeted me. "I heard your first mission went well."

"Yeah, it was really cool."

"Was it at all like you thought it would be?"

"Not really. But in some ways I think it was better."

"You're doing a good thing by helping those kids."

"It was a great experience. I hope I get to do it again."

"As long as you're with Scarlet, I'm sure you will."

"Yeah. And, about Scarlet . . ."

"Yes, Aspen?"

"Well . . . okay, so maybe she's not _all _bad."

"I told you so." Mom flashed an amused grin.

"She's still awfully tough. And . . . she told me that she joined the Defiance when she was only fourteen."

My mom paused for just a second. "Yes, that's true."

I walked over and sat down on a nearby bench. "Do I even need to say anything about that?"

"No, but apparently I do," Mom sighed. "Yes, she was only fourteen. She has been the _only _exception to that rule . . . _ever_. And she will be the only exception _ever_. That was something that was very, very complicated."

"Can you tell me about it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because that's Scarlet's job. If she wants to tell you, she will. It's not my place to talk to you about it."

"But you know that she'll _never _tell me, right?"

"Don't be so sure. If you can build up her trust enough, maybe she'll let you in on her secrets."

For a few seconds there was silence, aside from the soft _thump _every time my mom's fist made contact with the leather bag. She did it quickly a few times while using her super-speed, and I watched in silent fascination.

"Can we quit playing games?" I asked finally.

"What do you mean?" my mom asked.

"I don't know if you want me to learn a valuable lesson here or something, but why in the world did you pair me with Scarlet?"

"I think it's what both of you—"

"No, don't give me that," I interrupted her. Rude, I suppose, but I was tired of hearing the same recited speech. "Just tell me why you did it."

My mom glanced over at me, mirth dancing in her eyes. It was quickly suffocated by sadness. "Because I can't let you get caught."

"What does that mean?"

"Scarlet has ways of keeping you safe. She doesn't go close enough to the bionics to be dangerous, and she will make sure you don't get captured. Because, at all costs, you cannot get captured, Aspen!"

"Why are you so concerned about me? You don't trust that I'll be able to stay out of trouble on my own?" I was aware that my voice was slowly growing louder, but so was my mom's. We had entered into some sort of fight here.

"It's not that at all! The Sovereign cannot get you, Aspen! He can't!"

"Would you stop worrying about me? He _won't_! Come on, Mom! For once in your life could you just loosen up a bit?"

"No!" my mom screamed, the emotion choking her voice. I leaned back, slightly shocked at her outburst. "No, Aspen! I can't loosen up! Do you know what happened last time I 'loosened up'? A crazed maniac rose into power right beneath my nose. _And _he killed my brother. _And _millions upon _millions _of people. I cannot 'loosen up,' Aspen. The world is in turmoil because I 'loosened up.' Because I didn't care enough. Because I was too busy being selfish and caring for my own needs instead of focusing on what needed to be done."

My mom turned back to her bag and punched it . . . hard. I just sat there, trying to take it all in.

"The Sovereign hates the Davenport family," my mom said in what was barely a whisper. "He's had a vendetta against us for years. We're the only ones standing in his way. We could've stopped him before this started, but we didn't."

"You used to know him?" I asked quietly.

"Sweetie, I knew The Sovereign before he even _was _The Sovereign. He was an enemy of mine long before he was an enemy of the world."

"Tell me more."

Mom sighed. "I first met him when I was in my late teens. I never liked him. I don't think anyone liked him. He made it clear from the start how he was capable of horrible and atrocious deeds. My family and I spent quite a bit of time trying to fight him off.

"The Sovereign didn't exactly have the best childhood. He was exposed to a lot of the darkness in the world. He also saw his father get killed right in front of him. I think that left him mentally scarred. He started getting involved with things he shouldn't have, and before I knew it he was playing a pivotal role in my life . . . and billions of other lives.

"For a few years, he came and went from my life, wreaking havoc every time. We managed to subdue him more than once, and he would vanish for a time. But he always came back. He started making plans . . . terrible plans.

"Finally, my brothers and I realized that we needed to stop him once and for all. So we went to fight him. During the battle, he . . . he killed Chase. The Sovereign stabbed my brother in the back with a knife, straight through his heart. I could do nothing but _stand there _while my baby brother bled out on the floor. Chase was gone before I even got to say goodbye."

I was quite impressed that my mother was managing to keep a straight face. She was telling the cold, hard facts, seemingly without any emotion. But I could tell that she was falling apart right underneath the surface.

"To add insult to injury, he destroyed my hometown and the home I had lived in all my life. Chase's grave no longer stands; The Sovereign burned it all to the ground. Mission Creek has been gone for years.

"Eventually he and the bionic army he was in control of managed to take over America. Any time another country fights back, he sends in his soldiers and takes them over. Most countries still rule themselves, but if they aren't directly controlled by The Sovereign, they're too scared to do anything about him. Which makes our situation very dire.

"There are other rebellions out there. Most of them take drastic actions that no member of the Defiance would _dream _of doing. There have been several attempts on The Sovereign's life over the past two decades, but not a single one of them has been by a Defiance member. There are lines we refuse to cross."

I thought back to the girl that had been executed. She had crossed some kind of line. The pure hatred in her gaze reentered my mind's eye and I shuddered.

"Of course, The Sovereign has tried on multiple occasions to wipe us out," Mom continued. "He's only managed to get one Davenport so far. Adam, Leo, Tasha, Mr. Davenport, and I have been able to stay away from him for this long. But he hates the Defiance more than any other rebellion, because we pose a serious threat. We know about him, and we will try harder than anyone to stop him. He knows how hard our resolve is."

"So that's why you're being so cautious with me?" I asked quietly.

"Yes. Aspen, he can't know that you're my daughter. I'm afraid of the things he'll do to you. He won't show mercy."

"Since when does he show mercy anyway?"

"True. But I don't even want to begin to imagine the terrible things he could do. I'm very scared that he would find a way to use you against us."

"Do you think he could do that?" I said as I exhaled slowly.

"I don't know," my mom admitted. "But I'm afraid he will. That's why I have you paired up with Scarlet. She'll protect you."

"Why are you so sure that Scarlet will protect me better than anyone else?"

"Again, it's not my place to say. I've seen her in action, and I know that she knows what she's doing. Her past experiences let me know that she'll protect you. You won't wind up like Annabelle."

"Was she the girl that got captured earlier today?"

"Yes," my mom sighed. "We're sending out a team tomorrow to see if they can gather any information, but chances are that she's dead. That, or she's been turned into a mindless bionic soldier. If I heard that you had been captured, Aspen, I don't think I could go on."

My mom stood still for a second before moving over to the bench. She sat down beside me and placed a hand on my knee. I looked up and met her gaze.

"The Sovereign killed Dad, didn't he?" I asked slowly. As far as my bionically-enhanced brain could remember, Mom had never specifically told me that The Sovereign was personally responsible for the death of my father. But somehow I always knew.

"Yes," Mom said slowly.

"And your brother."

"Yes."

"And millions of other innocent people."

"Yes."

"And you blame yourself because you could've stopped him before it started?"

My mom hesitated. "Yes."

It was my turn to place a hand on my mom's knee. "You didn't stop him," I said calmly. "But thank you for making me understand why you're so worried now. I promise that I'll do everything I can to stay safe."

"Thank you, sweetheart," my mom said with a smile.

"And we'll knock that crazy leader right off his throne," I added. "He'll regret hurting my family so much."

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><p><strong>Mostly exposition and stuff. Sorry, but it's kind of necessary! I really loved writing this chapter. Especially the parts with Bree. She's grown and matured and learned a lot over the past nineteen years. I've tried to make that obvious.<strong>

**1. Any new theories about The Sovereign? Or are you ready to accept that he's an OC? Or are you ****_positive _****that he's ****_not _****an OC? Or . . . okay, I'll stop. :P**

**2. Do you like the way I portrayed Bree in this chapter? All grown up and stuff? (She _is _forty years old.)**

**3. Urm . . . what was your favorite part of this chapter? I know I ask it a lot, but I really don't know what else to say. :P**

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><p><strong>TheMichiganWriter: I'm glad I did make you feel something! Wow, you're one interesting big sister! XD (Kudos from a fellow big sis.) Thanks!<strong>

**RissA15: That's fine. I looked it up, and yes, there really is a Riverdale, California. I didn't know it was in Archie comics. I kinda just made it up. I'm going with a water theme, in case you haven't noticed (Brooks, Restwater, Riverdale). I look forward to your entry. Thank you!**

**LabGirl2001: Ooh, interesting theory! Guess you'll have to keep reading to see if you're right! Thanks for reviewing!**

**PurpleNicole531: Aw, thank you! ^_^ That's a seriously awesome compliment! Ah, so Stella's punishment is to retrieve poor Donnie from the Pit of Doom? Sweeeet. }:) Thanks for the review!**

**tennisgirl77: Well, you'll find out eventually! Thanks!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: Nope. Oh, even more drastic than you can begin to imagine! Whoa there, don't get cocky, Slurp! I've got tricks up my sleeve that even ****_you _****don't know about! Scarlet claims that she doesn't have a full name. I can't reveal yet whether she actually does or not. Preston will be back, don't worry. I responded! %getusedtoit %nottoomany %moreontheway %updated**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Hmm, that seems to be the most popular theory! Guess you'll have to wait and see. Preston ****_might _****be in more flashbacks. He'll definitely be discussed by other characters. Thanks for reviewing!**

**ungerlover: Yay! :D Oh, I understand! What movie? (Hope I don't sound like a stalker; I'm just curious. XD) Ha, well, that's definitely one of the crazier theories I've gotten! XD Chase was only twenty when he died, and he wasn't married, but hey, you never know. ;) Glad I could make you cry! (That came out wrong . . .) Whoa! Maybe he ****_is _****The Sovereign's slave. You never know the kind of tricks I'll pull. ;) That's okay; I understand. You could do a drabble (100 words) or something if you wanted, but I understand that you're busy. Thanks for the review!**

**Tor Raptor: Good something, hopefully! Whoa, that was big word! XD Heh, well, ****_I'm _****the ones actually killing them off. We're all a little crazy. :P Thanks for the review!**

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><p><strong>Thanks for all the awesome reviews! They make me smile. Don't forget to go take the quizzes on my profile. There are links posted at the top. Thanks to all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! See you next time for Chapter 13: Capture the Flag. Bye! :D<strong>


	13. Chapter 13: Capture the Flag

**(*NOTE* I don't know if anyone else has been having this problem, but Fanfiction seems really slow tonight. It seems like it's working now, but not for my story. So I'm going to delete the chapter and repost it. Hopefully that'll work. Maybe? I don't know if any of you had already read it, but I'm trying again anyway. Sorry for any inconvenience!)**

**I hate this chapter. I genuinely hate this chapter. Unlucky thirteen, huh? In advance, I'm sorry. After writing chapters 14 and 15, I don't hate it ****_as _****much, but it still sucks. The writing is choppy, the action is shaky, and frankly, it's a filler. A bad one, at that. However, it's necessary to advance to the next few chapters. So I guess you'll have to deal with it for now. Again, I'm so sorry.**

**Three updates in three days. You guys are so lucky. ;)**

**On a positive note, I ****_love _****the reviews I've been getting from you all! Lots of you have guesses as to who The Sovereign is or what Scarlet's secrets are, but ****_so _****many of you have used the phrase, "But I know you!" or "You're daphrose, so I'm not sure." *sniffles* You guys really get me. Thank you! X'D Great job on the quizzes, by the way! Thanks to those who took them! (And for those that haven't, they're still on my profile!)**

**Chapter thirteen soundtrack: "New Beginnings" by Future World Music. It mostly fits with the end of the chapter, but it will work for all of it. Not the best song for this chapter, perhaps, but it was really all I could find.**

**Get ready for more OCs, a strange game, and lots of horrible exposition. Apologies! I don't own Lab Rats. I do own my OCs. Here's where I would usually say enjoy, but I'm not sure you will. Sorry again. :(**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 13: Capture the Flag * * *<strong>

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><p>"Hey kiddo!" Scarlet called to me as soon as I entered the base the day after our mission. "You ready for training?"<p>

"I just got here," I said.

"It's never too early to start training."

I groaned. "Fine."

"That's the spirit," Scarlet said sarcastically. "You'd better check that attitude before I do it for you. Besides, I'm not training you today."

"You're not?" Well, that was a surprise.

"Nope. Have you ever heard of whack?"

"The word?"

"No. The game."

"Game?"

"Whack is the Defiance version of capture the flag. Have you ever played that game?"

"Yeah, sometimes in gym."

"The rules for whack are a little bit different, but the basic idea is the same. The Defiance has games and tournaments and such, and there happens to be a game this morning for the protégés. I signed you up for it last night. It starts in an hour, so I figured I'd take you to the arena now and you can learn how it works."

"Okay," I said with a shrug. "That actually doesn't sound too bad."

Scarlet led me down the hall and past a few security barriers that I had never been behind. It was a thrill to finally be admitted to the deeper parts of the base. Scarlet and I walked through large double doors near the end of a hall and found ourselves in a big room that looked like a gym. Benches lined the walls and there were racks full of equipment. Despite the size of the room, there weren't many people in it.

"Hey, Coach!" Scarlet called.

A tall man with an old tablet in his hands turned around and the corners of his mouth turned up a bit. "Well, well, well," he said as he walked up to us, "if it isn't Scarlet. How've you been?"

"Pretty good," my mentor said. "I got a protégé and I thought it would be a good idea to introduce her to whack. Aspen Summers. She's on your list, right?"

"Yup, right here," the coach said as he scanned his tablet. He turned to me. "Nice to meet you, Summers. I'm Coach Bennet. Feel free to call me Coach."

"Nice to meet you too," I said politely.

"Okay, well, I've got some errands to run," Scarlet said. "I'll be back in time for the game. Teach her well, Coach!"

"Hey, if I could teach you to play whack, I can teach anyone!" Coach called after her.

"Ain't that the truth!" Scarlet said with a laugh. "See you later, kiddo!"

"Bye," I replied. I turned to the coach. "I, uh, really don't know what I'm doing."

"I'll explain. Come over here." The coach led me over to a large table near the wall. He slid his fingers across it and holographic displays rose from the top. "Whack is a lot like capture the flag. There are four teams composed of four people. You'll be playing on a rectangular field that looks like this. The field is divided up into several sections, with large ditches between all of them. See how there's one triangle shape along each edge? Each team uses one as a base. A team's triangle has a small stand on it. That stand holds your team's flag. The goal of the game is to get all four of the flags into your stand."

"Oh, I see," I said.

"There are more rules to the game, but those are the basics. If you get knocked off into the ditch, you're out. That's the reason it's called whack: you have to _whack _the other players off of the field."

"How do you whack then off again?"

"We'll give you weapons."

"Excuse me?"

Coach stared at me. "This isn't all fun and games, Summers . . . even if that's exactly what it looks like. This is training for war."

"Seriously?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously," he said coolly. "It teaches you strategy and hones in your fighting skills. It was specially developed for the Defiance. I think you'll find that the battlefield will require a lot of the skills you'll pick up here."

"Battlefield?" I asked. "I thought the Defiance liked to keep things on the down-low."

"You'll still be fighting out there, cupcake," Coach said sternly. "Look, I'll be putting you on the red team. They're over there. They can explain the game to you more."

The coach pointed me towards the bench where two girls and a boy were sitting. I sighed and walked over to them. "Um, hi, I'm Aspen," I introduced myself. "I guess I'm on the red team."

"Oh, she's finally here," one girl said. She tucked a strand of her thin blonde hair behind her ear and glared up at me.

"I'm Susanna," the other girl said with a smile. "The mean one is Vicky and that's Ryder. Welcome to red!"

"You ever played whack before, Aspen?" Vicky asked.

"No," I said slowly. "And to be honest, I don't really know what I'm doing."

"Just follow my lead," Ryder said softly. "You'll live."

"He's more of the strong and silent type," Susanna whispered to me. "But he's a great leader!"

"So you all know each other?" I asked. None of them could've been much older than me. Susanna almost looked like she was younger.

"Sorta," Vicky said. "We've played together before. Coach thinks we make a good team, so he usually puts us together. Usually we have another girl named Annica, but she's on a mission with her mentor. So I guess you're her replacement."

"I guess I am." I fiddled with my fingers and tried to smile, but I think it looked more like a grimace. _This sure isn't awkward, _I thought sarcastically.

"We should probably get ready now that we have our whole team," Susanna said.

"First good idea you've ever had," Vicky sassed. They all stood up and walked over to one of the racks. I followed suit.

The rack was filled with all kinds of armor. Susanna pulled some off and helped me put it on. We had chest pieces, belts, shinguards, helmets, and gloves. All of them had some kind of red stripe somewhere on them. Once I had all of that on, Ryder showed me our "weapons." They were cylindric sticks that looked almost like metal baseball bats.

"So we're supposed to knock people off with these?" I asked.

"Yup," Susanna replied.

"Knock them off without getting knocked off yourself," Vicky added. "That's the simplest way to describe this game."

"I want to be defensive," Susanna said suddenly.

"You always want to be defensive," Vicky said with a scowl.

"I'm offensive," Ryder said curtly.

"New girl, what do you want to be?" Vicky asked.

"Huh?" I said.

"Offensive goes out and tries to take other flags. Defensive guards your own team's flag."

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll . . . play defensive."

"Good place to start," Susanna assured me.

"All right, Aspen, let's teach you some of the finer points of whack," Vicky said, tapping her stick in her hand.

For the next forty-five minutes, we trained. I learned how to use our weapon, which was apparently called a "whacker." Vicky thought it was stupid. Then I realized that she thought everything was stupid, so I don't think it really meant anything. I learned how to hold the whacker properly and how, when, and where to smack—I'm sorry, _whack_. It took a while, but I started to get the hang of it.

After a while, the coach called all four teams to the center of the room. He reviewed the rules one more time and asked if there were any questions. Surprisingly, I had none. Coach gave us the typical "good luck" speech and reminded us to be strategical. We all stood up.

"What do we do now?" I asked Susanna. She was the one who had been the most helpful to me so far.

"Now we play," she answered.

"Where?"

A door along the wall opened up and all sixteen of us began to head to it. "Through there," Susanna answered with a grin.

On the other side of the door was an even larger room. The walls were a pure white, only they had black lines running up and down and left and right, dividing the wall into equally shaped squares. The same was true for the floor and the ceiling. The only spot that broke that pattern was a window several feet above us. Looking inside, I could see several young adults.

"What are they doing up there?" I asked Vicky, who was closest to me, and gestured at the window.

"Those are our mentors," Vicky responded coldly. "They watch us."

I sucked in my breath and glanced around. What was going to happen next? Then the room began to change. I watched in amazement as the environment we were in became something like a volcanic planet. It seemed to stretch out for miles even though I knew there were walls. A large ditch on the outside marked the edge of the field. Each team was standing on a triangle along the side. The ground beneath us was full of cracks large enough for a person to fall through. It looked just like the hologram Coach had showed me.

A bell rang and Vicky and Ryder set off without hesitation, jumping to nearby platforms and engaging players from the other teams. Susanna hopped over one platform to handle an approaching blue player. I stood near the flag, ready to defend it. Soon enough a yellow player hopped close to me. I brandished my whacker threateningly, but he just laughed at me.

He hopped onto the triangle and made a grab for the flag. I whacked his hand away. Susanna had informed me that you could not grab your own flag unless you were carrying it back to your base. If this guy took it, I couldn't try to pull it from his hands. I made sure that he didn't even grab it. I swung my whacker out and hit him in the chest, sending him sprawling. I approached and knocked him all the way off the platform into the chasm below. It wasn't a deep drop—maybe ten feet at the most. He stood up as soon as he hit the bottom and scowled at me. I smiled triumphantly.

Then I became aware of someone approaching behind me. I turned to see a girl in green armor swinging her stick at me. I didn't have time to duck and was caught off balance. Before I knew it, I was flying backwards into the abyss. I groaned as I hit the bottom and looked up to see the green player smiling devilishly down at me. She turned to head back to our flag, no doubt. I stood up and sighed.

"What do we do now?" I asked the yellow player next to me.

"We're out," he said. "The game is over for us. Here, follow me."

I followed the boy through the maze underneath the field. We got to the edge and I was surprised to see an opening with stairs on the inside. We headed up and found ourselves in a viewing room that looked out over the field. He took a seat and whipped off his helmet. I looked out the window at the field below.

It looked like the white room we had first stepped in, with the players running around in a seemingly empty room. Parts of the floor has dropped down to create the ditches. On the wall in the viewing room, I noticed a screen that showed what was happening in the virtual environment. Now I understood: this was a virtual reality room. My grandfather had probably created it.

All the players were still continuing in their game. Green had stolen our flag, but Vicky was going to get it back. Susanna was desperately trying to fight off two other players.

"That's it?" I asked incredulously. "Forty-five minutes of training for that?"

"They have another game at three," the boy told me. "You can come back then and play again. But for now, that's it. Sometimes you're in it for a few seconds, sometimes a few hours. It's hard to tell with this game. Coach says that it's like a real battle. Some people make it . . ." The boy paused for dramatic effect and I rolled my eyes as he finished, "And some people don't."

I sighed and looked out the window again. Directly across from us were the mentors in their viewing area. I could see Scarlet sitting on the edge of the row of seats. I bit my lip, dreading what she would say to me next time I saw her.

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><p><strong>Yeah, suckish. Got it. And I know that I can be overly critical of my work, and you guys are always so sweet in assuring me that it's not as bad as I thought, but come on, that definitely wasn't my best chapter. Oh well.<strong>

**1. Any thoughts on Vicky, Susanna, and Ryder? They're pretty generic characters, so it's okay if you don't know. As far I know, they'll only return for two more chapters in the whole story. (Maybe.)**

**2. What's Scarlet going to say to Aspen? Do you think she'll be mad?**

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><p><strong>ShyMusic: I understand! That's totally fine. We all get busy. :) Well, I liked reading long reviews! So thanks! Yup, you spelled it right. (I actually don't know how to spell it either. 95% of the time, spell check completely saves me. XD) Ah, yes, I like to trick you readers! ;) Thank you so much! That's an awesome compliment! XD<strong>

**TheMichiganWriter: We're all interesting. :P Haha, Deranged was actually not part of my diabolic plan to trick y'all. But it may have just helped me. }:D Haha! I didn't even think that line was that good. XD Thanks for taking the quiz! Great job. :) Eh, I'm not even sure I read that sentence anymore. XD My brain skims over it. But thanks anyway!**

**BeautifulSupernova: You're right, I do love plot twists! Guess you'll have to wait and see! ;) Hmm, I may have more later on. Some of the Lab Rats characters will definitely reminisce about it. You'll learn more; don't worry! Thank you!**

**PrincessSparkleKitty: Haha, thank you! XD I've got more tricks up my sleeve than a close-up magician. I like writing mature Bree. :) It's kind of the end result of the lessons she's learning as a teen. Thanks!**

**Apickleperson: Haha, who knows? (Wait, ****_I _****do!) ;) I've done crazier things! Thanks for reviewing!**

**MrMuddyPaws10221: Yes, that may or may not have been part of my plan. Believe me, I myself teared up while writing it. Hmm, interesting thoughts. I guess you'll have to keep reading to see. ;) Haha, yup, I try to portray Aspen realistically. She is her mother's daughter, after all! Yes, ahem, well, I'm actually really bad at coming up with town names, so to help myself I decided to stick with a theme. Water was that theme. But I like the whole "peaceful" idea (which was part of it). :D Glad you noticed! Thanks for reviewing!**

**tennisgirl77: Haha, yup, it's my job to confuse you. ;) Thanks!**

**PurpleNicole531: Ooh, that's a unique guess right now! :D I guess that you'll have to stick around and see. YEAH, STELLA, DON'T TALK IN ALL CAPS! Erm, whoops. Pst, minions 58 and 901? Go dump some toxic waste into the Pit of Doom. Don't fall in, and don't dump it directly on Donald's head. Or close to him. Just close enough to scare him and Stella. Thanks for the review, by the way! :D**

**LabGirl2001: She's getting there. They've got a long ways to go yet. ;) Well, guessing will be all you have a while. I can't tell you if you're right or not, though. As I always say, you'll just have to keep reading! :D Thanks!**

**The Star Server 7580: I got your review ****_just _****as I was about to post! XD Good thing I checked my email before I finished these replies. Yes, Chase will be mentioned again, don't worry. :) I'm not sure yet if Eddy will appear in it or not. Guess we'll both have to see. Thanks for the review!**

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><p><strong>Happy New Year's Eve, by the way! I guess next time I post will be in 2015. Wow. That's so weird. Where the heck did time go? Can you guys believe that in four short months I'll have been on this site for a year? Wow . . .<strong>

**I think you guys will like the next chapter. It's pretty short, but it's got quite a few Scarlet-Aspen bonding moments. Also, you may or may not learn a ****_tiny _****bit more about Scarlet's past. Maybe. ;) Anyway, reviews are appreciated! I love hearing what you guys have to say. You make my day. Thanks to all for reading, and I'll see you in a bit for Chapter 14: A Friend. Bye!**


	14. Chapter 14: A Friend

**Hi everyone! Happy 2015! Yes, I'm back already. And I'm happy to say that this chapter is much better than the last one. Also, to any of you who had trouble accessing the last chapter after I posted, I am so sorry! Fanfiction was having trouble that day, but I think it's all fixed now. So here we go!**

**Chapter fourteen soundtrack: "Right Beside You" by Building 429. It's my favorite song about friendship, and it's seriously amazing. Highly recommended.**

**This chapter's a lot shorter, but I really like it. You'll learn more about Scarlet, so pay attention! I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 14: A Friend * * *<strong>

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><p>I yanked off my gloves and sighed again. Susanna patted me on the back and told me not to worry about it. I thanked her. Vicky just laughed and muttered something under her breath. I shifted on the bench and pursed my lips.<p>

The gym doors opened and a few of the mentors walked through. Some were chatting with each other and laughing. A few ran over to their kids and struck up conversation. Scarlet walked over to me, arms folded across her chest.

"Look," I said as she walked up, "I know I sucked out there. You don't have to tell me. So go ahead and yell at me or whatever. It was awful."

Scarlet gave a grim smile and wiggled her forefinger. "Up," she commanded. I obeyed. "Follow me." She spun around and began to march out of the gym. Then she stopped an turned back, "Oh, and bring the whacker."

"Am I allowed to do that?" I asked as we walked out.

"It's property of the Defiance. I am a Defiance member and so are you. Therefore, we are allowed to use it."

Scarlet led me down the hall to an empty room. It had high ceilings and a large open space in the center. Around the edges were some benches, just like every other room seemed to have. The room looked like a miniature gym. There were even some bars in the back.

"You wanted to yell at me in private?" I asked.

Scarlet sighed. "You really need to stop assuming things." Then she smiled at me. "You sure didn't last long."

"I was on that field for 63.9 seconds," I deadpanned. "So not long at all."

"Try negative 3.9 seconds," Scarlet replied.

I furrowed my brow. "What? How can you be out there for a negative amount of time? That's not possible."

"It was possible for me. The first time _I _played whack, I fell off the field before the bell had even rung."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. Look, kid, I'm not here to yell at you. Everyone who plays whack for the first time looks like that. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of games to get good. And even when you _are _good, there's no guarantee that you'll be out there for very long. I've seen some of the best players get knocked off in just a few minutes."

I folded my arms across my chest. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," Scarlet replied with a shrug, "so maybe I can understand why you would think that. Maybe I've been a _bit _harsh on you—"

"A bit?"

"Don't push it. Look, I know I'm not the best teacher. I kinda expect everyone to move at _my _pace, and if they can't keep up, I tend to leave them behind. So I'm sorry if I do that to you. I'm trying my best."

"My mom must be trying to teach you something by making you teach."

"Yeah, no kidding," Scarlet said with a laugh. "Aspen, I've always been a solo girl. I like to do things on my own. It's just . . . my personality, I guess. It's probably time that I learned to work with a team."

I nodded. "Then I guess we both have a lot to learn." Another thought crossed my mind and I added, "Did you ever have a mentor?"

Scarlet bowed her head. "Yeah," she said slowly. "A young woman named Ashley. She got transferred to a base in California and I haven't seen her in over a year. She was the only one that I could really work with. I've worked with others for short periods of time, but other than with Ashley, I've never been on a real team. I'll figure it out, though." Scarlet glanced up at me and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Will you help me?"

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "Yeah, I think I will. I kinda don't have a choice."

"True."

"But first, you have to teach me how to play whack. I won't be defeated like that again!"

Scarlet laughed. "Hey, I told you: I was never that good. But I'll teach you what I know, and hopefully you'll do better than me."

We walked closer to the center of the room. I clutched the whacker tight in my hands, ready for whatever Scarlet instructed me to do. She rubbed her chin and cocked her head, studying me closely. She moved a bit closer.

"Whack doesn't have many rules," she told me as she grabbed my arms and began to reposition them. "That's because they're trying to simulate war, and in war there are no rules. Still, they have to have _some_, for safety and stuff. There aren't many, and you can get around the ones that do exist. Let's start with the fact that you're allowed to hit anyone anywhere. On the flip side of that, _they _can hit you anywhere. Which is why you always have to be prepared."

"My sixth sense alerts me when someone is approaching," I reminded her.

"True," Scarlet replied slowly. "We'll have to figure out how you can use your bionics. But even if you know they're coming, you have to be ready to attack. They can still hit you, regardless of whether you know they're there or not. So you have to be prepared. Keep control of your whacker."

"If I lose control of the whacker, I'll lose control of the fight," I said.

"There, you're catching on! Okay, so this is the best way to stand." Scarlet finished positioning my hands and demonstrated the fighting stance. "Make sure to keep a strong center of gravity so you can't be knocked over easily. Stay light on your feet so you can move around. Be ready to swing with the whacker."

Scarlet showed me how to hold and use the whacker. We practiced for a long time with those moves until I was able to keep good control of my weapon. My mentor told me that using my bionics wouldn't be a good idea—except for my sixth sense and intelligence, which I couldn't really control and weren't obvious. She reminded me that whack was meant to be similar to a real fight. Since I couldn't reveal my bionics in an actual fight, I shouldn't use them here.

Eventually Scarlet decided that it would be best to move on from how to fight. "Jumping is a big part of whack," she told me. "You have to be able to jump far and high to make it to the other platforms. You have to do all that _while _fighting others. It takes a good deal of agility. Of course, practice makes perfect. Let's start with some simple jumps. The average length between the platforms is about three to four feet. Not too far, but far enough to be a bit challenging. It makes it harder that you're jumping over a small canyon. One slip-up and you'll fall."

"At least you won't die or anything," I replied with a shrug.

"In a real battle you would," Scarlet said crisply. She took a few steps backward and motioned to the floor beside her. "Jump to about here."

I backed up a bit and ran forward, pushing my feet off the ground and landing beside Scarlet. I straightened and said, "Easy."

"Not quite," she said, shaking her head. "On a whack platform, you don't have room to run backwards. That's part of what makes it so hard. You need to learn to jump with a small run or no run at all. It's not an easy thing to master. Here, I'll show you how it works."

For the next hour, Scarlet and I worked tirelessly at the jumps. It was much harder than it looked. Scarlet was ever-critical, but she seemed to get a bit easier. I could tell that she was really trying. We were learning together.

Finally we decided to take a break. Scarlet left to see if she could snag a few snacks from the cafeteria. I sat on the bench and played with my water bottle until she returned.

"I got a box of crackers," she said, holding up the cardboard container. She dipped her hand into it and pulled out some of the small treats.

"Can I have some?" I asked.

"Hold on just a few seconds," Scarlet said as she swallowed. "Let me have some."

I tilted my head and gave her my best puppy-dog eyes. I began to rub my right hand on my chest while continuing the pleading look.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "Why are you saying 'please' in sign language?"

"That's how I used to ask for things when I was little," I said as Scarlet lowered the box and I grabbed some crackers. "Before I could talk, my dad taught me how to use some sign language to communicate. When I gained control of my super intelligence, I learned a lot more, but I still remember those simple signs he taught me." I touched my hand to my chin and tilted it towards Scarlet to thank her.

"That's kinda cute," Scarlet said as she sat down beside me.

"Yeah. I really miss my dad. I don't remember him very much, since I was so little when he died. But I know that I loved him a lot." I glanced over at Scarlet. "Did you ever do anything fun with your dad?"

Scarlet sighed and looked down at her boots. Her hands were folded together and her elbows were resting on her knees. She blinked slowly and remained silent.

I leaned back. "I know," I said quietly, turning my head away. "That's a personal question. I don't have the right to know that kind of thing." For several seconds there was a heavy silence.

"No . . ." Scarlet said slowly.

"What?"

"No. I never did anything fun with my dad."

"Oh."

"I hated him."

My head swung around and I stared at my mentor. "How can you say something like that?" I asked incredulously.

Scarlet continued to stare at her boots, not meeting my gaze. "He was not a good father. He was . . . he was cruel. And unforgiving. He was _awful_, Aspen."

"I'm sure he loved you."

"You didn't know him," Scarlet scoffed. "The man didn't know the meaning of the word love."

"Did he . . . hurt you?"

"Kinda." Scarlet rubbed her hands together and I waited with bated breath. It seemed that the mysterious Scarlet No-Name was finally opening up. "More than physically . . . there's a different way to hurt someone."

"Is that why you're—?" I trailed off.

"Is that why I'm what?" Scarlet asked mirthfully, looking up at me. "The way that I am? Partially . . . but there's a lot that you don't understand yet."

"So your dad wasn't so great. What about your mom?" I hoped I wasn't pushing it too far. This was the most Scarlet had ever revealed about herself to me.

"Haven't got one. Never did. It was always just me and my dad and . . ." Scarlet trailed off and shook her head. "Break time is over, Aspen. Time to get back to jumps."

My mentor stood up and left the cracker box next to me. I closed the top and stood up to follow her. Something had shifted inside me. I guess . . . I guess that I felt sort of _bad _for Scarlet. I still didn't know exactly what had happened to her, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. She had had a rough life. Maybe she just needed someone to show her a bit of compassion. Maybe I was that someone.

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><p><strong>Whoa-ho-ho, would you look at this whole new side to Scarlet! She actually has feelings. Who knew?<strong>

**1. Any new guesses about Scarlet? This is the most we've learned about her yet. What do you think of her now?**

**2. Does whack sound like a fun game? Hard? Complicated? (I didn't really have anything else to ask. XD)**

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><p><strong>Labgirl2001: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :)<strong>

**TheMichiganWriter: I know, right? I think it's fixed now. Hopefully. I'm pretty sure that was the problem. I mean, everything that was written last year now has a "2014" next to it, so I'm sure it wasn't easy to get that on ****_every_**** story. Ha, well, it's not intentional! Oh, no, the caps have defeated me! I was forced to read that dreaded sentence! ;) Haha, thanks for reviewing! Happy New Year!**

**ShyMusic: That's okay, It's been awfully strange. Of course it's not weird to read other people's reviews! We all do it. ;) Well, I'm glad you liked it! Yup, metal sticks. Pretty heavy, pretty hard . . . Douglas! Come play whack! :D I know, right? I'm a pretty terribly speller, actually. XD Writing on paper kills me. I use the dictionary way more than I should. :P Thanks for the sweet review!**

**PurpleNicole531: Thanks! Yeah, they're pretty stereotypical teenagers. XD Very simple, since they're so minor. Oh, Stella. Don't fight with the minions. You'll never win. Minions! TOSS HER IN! :3 Yup, Fanfiction was being weird. Thanks for reviewing!**

**My Name is Fan (chapter 7): Haha, sorry! XD I didn't have the guts to do Washington D.C., but I needed it to be a major city. New York was the obvious choice.**

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><p><strong>For those of you who are interested, I have begun the Song of the Day on my profile. Check it out if you'd like!<strong>

**Hopefully this chapter was better than the last one. I liked writing the bonding moments with Scarlet and Aspen. Thanks to all for reading! Reviews are appreciated but not required. I love my silent readers too. :3 See you next time for Chapter 15: Rematch and Relation. Bye!**


	15. Chapter 15: Rematch and Relation

**Hi everyone! I'm back again already. I wanted to squeeze in one more update because tomorrow I start school again. Whoopee. -_- It's not that I don't like school, because I really do. But that means I'll have less time for writing. We'll see. This time of year usually isn't very crazy for me, so hopefully I'll still be able to update on a regular basis.**

**Also, a hundred and fifty reviews guys! That's awesome! Thank you all so much! I really appreciate it.**

**There are actually two soundtracks to this chapter.  
>Chapter fifteen part one soundtrack: "Breakthrough" by Britt Nicole. It's a nice "facing your fears" kind of song. This is for the first part of the chapter, so from the beginning until the page break. (At the phrase, "See you soon.")<br>Chapter fifteen part two soundtrack: "The Sun Is Rising" by Britt Nicole. Yes, from the same artist. :P She's one of my favorites. This is for the part ****_after _****the page break.**

**This chapter is still kind of filler-ish, but I actually really liked it. I don't own Lab Rats or Star Wars. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 15: Rematch and Relation * * *<strong>

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><p>I slid the helmet over my face and secured the straps under my chin. After that was done, I reached down to grab the whacker off the bench. The metal stick felt good resting in the palm of my hand. The armor rested comfortably on my body. I was much more confident than last time.<p>

"Think you'll survive this time, Aspen?" Vicky asked coolly.

"I'll make it a lot longer than before," I assured her. "My mentor spent all day yesterday training me."

"One day of training doesn't make you an expert."

"You've had two years," Susanna cut in, "and you're still not an expert.

The two girls made faces at each other while Ryder came up and inspected me. The corners of his mouth twitched, and I guessed that was the closest he would ever come to smiling. "You're ready," he said simply before turning away.

I smiled smugly at Vicky. "I'm ready," I repeated. She wrinkled her nose and slid her helmet over her head. We all turned to head into the virtual reality room.

Once we were inside, the doors closed and the environment shifted. The floor dropped down as the ditches were formed. I stood in my place as the bell rang; I was playing defense once again.

Vicky and Ryder set off, hopping from platform to platform. Vicky went for blue's flag, Ryder for yellow's. Beside me, I could see Susanna gripping her whacker and holding it almost like a baseball bat. I gripped mine in the center and held it in front of me, ready for the attackers that were sure to come.

Soon enough, a blue girl approached me, her brown eyes hard behind her mask. She swung her whacker at me and I swung mine at hers. They clashed in the air like lightsabers from Star Wars. We pushed with equal force while Susanna took on a green team member. Just when the blue girl was pushing the hardest, I ducked away. She was caught off balance and stumbled forwards. I stayed low to the ground and whacked the back of her knees. She gasped and went toppling into the ditch below. I smirked and turned back to Susanna. I hit the green team member in the back and together we pushed him over the edge.

"Nice!" Susanna said, smiling at me. "Teamwork keeps us together."

"And in a fight, you've got to know who's on your side," I said, giving her a quick pat on the shoulder. "Hmm, no one else is coming."

"It's a break for a few seconds. They're not concerned about our flag right now. Looks like they're going after yellow."

On the yellow team's platform, over by their flag, more than a few of the protégés had gathered. Susanna and I looked on nervously. Then out of the small crowd broke Ryder, flag in hand. He hopped skillfully from platform to platform, avoiding the green and blue players trying to tackle him and take it while yellow stood back, defeated. Ryder jumped to our platform and deposited the flag into our stand. He gave Susanna a high-five and jumped back across the platforms.

As Ryder left, a yellow team member came across. Together, Susanna and I took him down. We looked out over the field to see who was left. As we looked, we saw Vicky get knocked off the edge. We glanced at each other, our eyes wide. One of our offensive players was out.

"Look," Susanna said, tapping me and pointing to the green flag. It was sitting on the platform, completely unguarded. "Ryder doesn't see it." Our other team member was too busy fighting his way to the blue flag.

"I'm going for it," I said. "Protect the flag!"

Susanna nodded. I took a deep breath and hopped to the nearby platform. Scarlet had been right: there wasn't much room to make a running start. Still, I made it across, remembering what Scarlet said about bending my knees and pushing myself forward. I glanced around warily. No other players had noticed me. I continued to go along, the green flag in my sights. I jumped from platform to platform, and it began to get easier as I went along. I was really starting to get the hang of it.

Finally I was just a few platforms away from the green flag. Then I sensed someone approaching on my right side. I turned to see the green player who had knocked me off the day before charging up to me. I narrowed my eyes.

"Not today, red!" she hissed, brandishing her stick.

"I've learned a lot since we last fought!" I said, meeting her stick halfway.

"That was yesterday!"

"I know that!" Okay, so maybe my trash talk could use a bit of work, but I was more concerned about getting my revenge on this girl.

We swung at each other again and again, attacking with equal force. I soon began to realize that this girl was a lot bigger than me. She was obviously a few years older. Hmm, she was older . . . maybe I could use that against her.

I ducked down and rolled across the platform as far as I dared. The green girl turned and jumped at me, bringing her stick down. She hit my elbow as I tried to move away. I hissed at the pain shooting up my forearm. _The funny bone is so inappropriately named!_

"Got you now, red scum!" she hissed. I looked up from where I was crouching right in front of her.

"I beg to differ!" I said, gripping my whacker with so much force that my knuckles were probably white under my gloves.

The girl tried to bring her whacker down on my head. I held up my own weapon and blocked her. Then I slid my legs out from under me and knocked the girl off her feet. I hopped up and pinned her to the ground. She writhed under me, but I didn't let up.

"You wouldn't," she said as she glanced at the chasm not even an inch from her face.

"I would," I replied coolly. I wrestled the girl even closer until half of her body was dangling over the abyss. Then I pushed her off. She landed at the bottom and scowled up at me. I just smirked and hopped onto the green platform, removing the flag from its stand.

On the trip back to my own base, a green player ran up, but he couldn't do anything. He wasn't allowed to take the flag since it was his own. But I could see him watching, waiting until I put the flag down so he could charge in.

I hopped onto my base and placed the flag on the stand. "Green player at ten o'clock," I said to Susanna out of the side of my mouth.

My teammate understood and ran across the platform, staring the player down. He jumped across anyway, but he didn't quite make it. He landed awkwardly on the edge, and it didn't take much for Susanna to push him over.

As we got rid of the green player, Ryder ran up. The blue flag was in his hand. He placed it onto our stand. A bell rang and the environment shifted back to the room. There were still dips in the floor, but slowly they filled up and it became even again. Susanna whipped off her helmet.

"We did it!" she squealed. "Awesome job, guys!"

"Nice," Ryder said with the slight lip-tugging that was his grin.

"I can't believe it," I said. "That was great!"

"Let's go back into the gym and meet Vicky," Susanna said. She ran back through the gym doors, cheering as she went. I chuckled and followed her.

In the gym, Vicky and the others who had been knocked out came down from the observation room. Vicky came up to me with pursed lips. "Okay, so you did good," she said gruffly. "Nice job."

"Thank you," I said. "You did pretty good yourself."

Vicky smiled slightly at me. Then she turned to Susanna and said, "You did good as well."

"It was so much fun!" Susanna squealed. She wrapped her arms around me and added, "Thanks for being on our team, Aspen! I hope you can do it again sometime!"

"Me too," I said. Over Susanna's shoulder, I saw Scarlet walk through the gym doors. "But I have to go now. Thanks, you guys!"

I walked over to Scarlet, trying to suppress a grin. She smiled at me. "You did good, kid," she said.

"Good?" I repeated. "I did _great_. Did you see how I took that green player out? She didn't even know what hit her. Wow, I think I like this game!"

Scarlet chuckled. "Now, don't get cocky, you little Davenport."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Nothing. Just that I've had to deal with your family _a lot_. You're all the same: arrogant and full of yourselves."

"Hey, you can insult me, but don't you dare insult my family!"

"It wasn't an insult; it was an observation. Still, I'm happy I'm not related to you guys."

"Now, that's just offensive," I said, raising my eyebrows. "Who's being arrogant now, hmm?" I grinned. There was a joking manner to our tones. Neither of us were being entirely serious.

"Look, kid, I'm going to be gone for about an hour or so. I'm meeting up with some friends—"

"You have friends?"

"Yes, I do." Scarlet glared at me. "Anyway, I'll be meeting with them, so you'll have to entertain yourself for a little while. It's almost noon, so feel free to get lunch or something at the cafeteria. Go brag about your victory or whatever. I'll meet you in room 105 when I'm done, okay? Plan to be there in about an hour and a half."

"Got it," I said. I pulled off my gloves and placed them on a nearby bench. "See you soon."

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><p>It was the cafeteria, the mess hall, the lunchroom; whatever you wanted to call it. It was a large open space filled with chairs and tables. Along the walls were trays filled with food. Hanging on the walls were paintings, most of them abstract and all of them old.<p>

I grabbed a plate and slid along the buffet table. Today appeared to be Japanese food. There were sushi and rice balls filling the trays, with chopsticks sitting nearby. I grabbed a pair and began to put some of the food on my plate.

As I got my meal, Aunt Janelle walked up and began to refill some of the bins. I greeted her and she smiled warily at me. "Hi Aspen," she said.

"Japanese food today?" I asked.

"Yup," she sighed. "It's cheap, easy, small—"

"And no one likes it," I joked.

"These people?" Aunt Janelle gestured around the room. "They'll eat _anything_. Even if it's raw fish." She shuddered.

Another figure ran up behind Aunt Janelle and wrapped his arms around her. "There's my lovely bride!" Uncle Leo said.

My aunt turned around and folded her arms across her chest. "I have been elbow-deep in fish guts all morning. I'm _not _in a good mood." She grabbed the now-empty tray and stormed away, leaving Uncle Leo to stare after her.

"Good to know," he said, folding his hands together. He noticed me and smiled. "Hey Aspen."

"Hi Uncle Leo. You're here for lunch?"

"Absolutely. My team is still training and I'm fine with that, but I have a one-hour lunch break every day that I _refuse _to miss."

I chuckled as Uncle Leo grabbed a plate and started to pull out some sushi. He wrinkled his nose and I said, "I know; not my first choice of meals either."

"You gotta eat what they give you." My uncle shrugged. Then he leaned over and whispered, "Especially when one cook is your mom and the other is your wife."

I chuckled and pulled a rice ball out of the bin. I glanced up at the wall above me and cocked my head. There was an abstract painting there, but the odd thing about it was the fact that there was a small hole in it, right in the center.

"That's a weird painting," I said absently.

Uncle Leo looked up and began to laugh. "There's quite a tale behind that one," he said. "You know, we still owe Big D that million dollars."

"Huh?"

"The painting cost a million dollars. Your Grandpa Donald bought it years ago. To make a long story short, Adam burned it with his heat vision—hence the hole—and we made a new one so we wouldn't get in trouble. Then Big D almost got arrested for forgery, so we had to go find the original, which we had thrown out. Your mom, Uncle Adam, and Uncle Chase had to play miniature golf with our principal to get it back."

"What?"

"It's a _very _long story."

"My mom sure had a lot of adventures, huh?" I said.

"We all did," Leo chuckled. "You may have been born into the most interesting family in history."

The two of us were finished getting food. We turned and began to navigate through the tables to find a seat. There weren't too many people in the cafeteria; maybe fifty at the most. It wasn't hard to find an empty table. We slid into it, sitting across from each other.

"Speaking of family," I said as we sat down, "you knew my dad, right?"

"Yes I did," Uncle Leo said. He laid his napkin on his lap and looked at me.

"Um," I said slowly, poking my rice ball with the end of my chopstick, "can you tell me what he was like?"

My uncle took a bite of his sushi and chewed it thoughtfully. "Well . . ." he said slowly, "your dad was brave."

"I know that," I whispered.

"He had to be, to date Bree." My uncle chuckled to himself. "He was pretty smart too. And arrogant. He fit right in."

"That does sound like our family," I said as I took a bite of my food.

"He cared about Bree a lot. That's one thing I remember. I didn't want my sister to end up with some loser, and Preston Summers was a good guy. Even Big D approved of him. Why do you want to know about your dad all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. I've been thinking about him a lot. I guess it's . . . being involved in all this. I haven't spent this much time with the Defiance since before I went to school. It's bringing up a lot of memories, especially about Dad. How did he and Mom meet?"

"How did who and Bree meet?" I looked up to see Uncle Adam with a food tray in his hands. "Can I sit with you guys?"

I patted the bench next to me and my other uncle sat down. "I was just asking Uncle Leo how my mom and dad met," I explained.

"Oh, I remember when they met," he replied.

"Why don't you take this one, Adam?" Uncle Leo suggested.

"Okay. Well, it was in a big room with a lot of people and . . . um . . ."

Uncle Leo shook his head. "It was a winter dance that Davenport Industries sponsored," he explained. "Your dad was an intern."

"At Grandpa Donald's company?" I asked. "I never knew that."

"Oh yeah," Uncle Adam said, his mouth full of sushi. "Preston worked there to make a little extra cash. He majored in English at Mission Creek Community College. He had some of the same classes as Bree, since she majored in journalism. So they met up and talked and studied and stuff."

"They became friends and eventually started dating," Leo continued. "Then after The Sovereign took over, your dad went on the run with us. He proposed to Bree during a fight and . . . well, the rest is history."

I nodded and looked over at Uncle Adam. He seemed to be having a hard time picking up the rice ball with his chopsticks. Finally he had had enough. My uncle jabbed the stick into the rice ball and brought it up to his mouth, eating the whole thing in one bite.

Uncle Leo smiled faintly. I laughed a bit. Uncle Adam grinned and said with his mouth full, "Ta-da!"

"Adam, the fact that you're forty-one and you _still _haven't grown up astounds me," Uncle Leo said.

"Does it _really_?" Uncle Adam asked after he had swallowed.

"Well . . . I guess not."

"Hey boys," my mom said as she walked up. "Hi Aspen. Can I sit with you guys?" My uncles nodded and Mom slid in next to Uncle Leo. "What were you guys talking about?"

"The weather," Uncle Leo said quickly.

"The theory of relativity," I said at the same time.

Uncle Adam laughed and looked at his sister. "We were talking about Preston," he said calmly. "Aspen wanted to know more about her dad." Uncle Leo and I groaned.

"It's fine if you want to know about Dad, Aspen," Mom said, looking down at her food. "But why don't we change the subject for right now, okay? How was your day?"

I sighed quietly enough that no one else at the table heard. I knew that Mom didn't want to talk about Dad. I couldn't blame her. She missed him too.

It only took a few seconds for me to remember my wonderful morning. I grinned and quickly began telling my family about how I single-handedly won the game of whack. Okay, so I _may _have embellished the story a _little _bit . . .

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><p><strong>So, another game of whack, and you learned a bit about Preston and Bree. I have a whole backstory for the two of them. It's so sweet. :3<strong>

**Quick note: Every time I need to pick a college major for Bree in a story, I always wind up picking journalism. Don't ask why! I know she hasn't exactly shown interest in it, but for some reason I could see her doing that. Maybe she could become a journalist for a fashion magazine. You know, if The Sovereign didn't take over the world. :3**

**No questions tonight, sorry. It's late. Review replies will be kind of curt too. I'm tired.**

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><p><strong>PurpleNicole531: Awesome long review! You really made me laugh! I love Douglas dollars. Oh, my minions LOVE to torture Chase and Douglas! You just made them very happy, PurpleNicole! :'D Sorry for the short reply, but thanks for the awesome review!<strong>

**PrincessSparkleKitty: It's fine. Hmm, interesting theory! Well, Scarlet probably has a mom, she's just never met her. Whack is ****_safer_****? What do you guys do? XD Happy New Year to you too! Thanks!**

**RissA15: Thanks! She's kind of that tough-girl type. Ooh, I love Tigress! :D Haha, I love how Deranged is confusing you all. I didn't even plan that! XD**

**TheMichiganWriter: Yes, I love twisting things. And believe you me, I ****_will _****twist! Yes! But make sure not to tell Douglas the rules. It's more fun that way! :P Ooh, can I join the It's-Not-Weird-to-Read-Reviews club? I READ THEM TOO! :D**

**Labgirl2001: Well, it's an interesting theory anyway! Frankly, Eddy was probably destroyed when Mission Creek was. Unless he managed to stow away on a tablet and Donald keeps him in his lab for company. Or perhaps he's The Sovereign. You never know. ;)**

**j. liz. 8: You seem very set in that theory. I guess you'll have to keep reading to see if you're right!**

**tennisgirl77: Interesting guess! It probably is hard. Thanks!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: (Chapter 12) Ah ah ah, careful! I wouldn't go throwing around words like "absolutely" on my stories, no matter how many spoilers I've given you! I've got tricks up my sleeve yet. It would be interesting! (Chapter 13) You call 70-90 "poorly"? You did great! (Chapter 14) Eh, it's fine. Hmm, interesting guess! I suppose we'll have to wait and see. Hmm, maybe I could! But who knows if they'll survive. I've got crazy things a-coming. :P**

**Mynameispretty: Thanks! I love them too. They're a very good band. Ha, that's funny! XD**

**ShyMusic: Haha, oh, Chase is always fun to have around! :D Dougie, catch the whacker! *tosses metal stick at Douglas* *stick hits Douglas in the head* Haha, whoops. Erm, he might be unconscious . . . MOVE ALONG, PEOPLE! Nothing to see here! Anyway . . . looks like people want to see what Scarlet's secrets are! Stick around! I hear that many of them might be revealed in chapter 18. ;)**

**HawiianChick12: He would be an awful dad. O.o Interesting guess!**

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><p><strong>For any of you who are interested, I posted my first fiction story on FictionPress. It's called "Beyond the Woods," and it's what I was working on during December when I took my Fanfiction break. There's a link to my FP profile on my FF profile, if you'd like to check it out. It will be updated every Saturday. I'd appreciate it if you would read!<strong>

**Thanks for all the great reviews. You guys have some pretty wild guesses about what I'm going to do! But of course, I've still got crazy tricks up my sleeve. Thanks for reading, guys! I'll see you later for Chapter 16: Friends and Enemies. Spoiler Alert: a certain son of a certain diabolical leader ****_may _****be making a reappearance in this chapter. ;) Bye!**


	16. Chapter 16: Friends and Enemies

**Hi guys, I'm back again! School's not too crazy (yet), luckily, so I'm still able to squeeze in a bit of writing time. And now that chapter 19 is done, I think I'll give you 16. How does that sound?**

**By the way, anyone catch the Hole in One reference last chapter? XD I knew I just ****_had _****to include that painting.**

**Chapter 16 soundtrack: "War of Change" by Thousand Foot Krutch. There's one part of the song where it gets a little scream-y, but other than that it's really good. The end of it sounds ****_perfect _****for the end of this chapter.**

**I know you are all excited for the reappearance of a certain villain. So let's get on with it! I don't own Starbucks or Lab Rats, just my OCs and the story. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 16: Friends and Enemies * * *<strong>

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><p>When the next Monday rolled around, I went to my mentor first thing in the morning. I found her in one of the training rooms, walking on a beam. She jumped down as I approached. I asked if we were going to help out the kids again. She told me that we were indeed.<p>

"Great!" I exclaimed when I found out. "But can you prepare me this time? Instead of waiting until we're all the way in the city and we have to talk in code?"

Scarlet chuckled. "Sure," she said. "This week is going to be a little different. It's October 26th. Do you know what that means?"

"No . . ."

"It's the last Monday of the month. Which means Lenny's helping us out."

"Who's Lenny?"

"You'll see."

I groaned. "I thought you were going to explain it to me!"

"I am. Look, Lenny helps us, and that's all you need to know right now. We won't be leaving for Restwater until much later today. We'll plan to be at the tram station around six this evening. You won't have to look for a job today, but we will be visiting a craft store."

"Does Lenny own it?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"Bingo," Scarlet said with a wink. "You're catching on, kid! Regardless of what happens before curfew, we _will _be helping out the orphans tonight. So don't worry about that, okay?"

"Okay," I replied, unfolding my arms.

"But until tonight . . ." Scarlet patted the beam and grinned at me. "Until tonight, we have lots of training to do."

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><p>We stepped out of the dirty tram station and into the . . . still dirty air of Restwater. It was the same as the previous week: the flashing lights, the rather curious smells, the monotonous hum of human voices blurring together into one sound. It was the big city.<p>

I glanced down at my watch. Two hours to curfew. Wait, check that. One hour, fifty-eight minutes, and thirty-five seconds . . . thirty-four . . . thirty-three . . . you get the idea. I don't know why I felt so on edge, but I did. Maybe it was because I actually knew what we were doing this time. Perhaps Scarlet had been smart to keep me in the dark last week.

Scarlet led me through the streets. Neither of us talked the whole time. There was an uneasiness in the air. Or it was just plain awkward. Whatever the reason, Scarlet shoved her way through the crowd while I followed.

Soon we stopped in front of a small store. The windows were painted with fall-colored leaves and white swirls meant to look like wind. Scarlet pushed the door open and a small bell chimed above our heads. The store was filled with racks. The racks were filled with art supplies. There were paint brushes and sketchbooks, colored pencils and fancy pens, scissors and crayons.

In the center of the store was a counter. Behind the counter was a man in his early thirties. He looked up when we walked in and his face broke into a huge grin. "Raven!" he called out cheerily. "Good to see you again!"

"Nice to see you too, Lenny," Scarlet said.

"And who is this?" Lenny gestured to me.

"This is my cousin, Jay."

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Likewise," Lenny said stiffly as I shook his hand. "So, Raven, what brings you in here today?"

"I was in the market for some new colored pencils. My old ones have seen better days." Scarlet gave a breathy laugh and began to move away from the counter. She walked over to the racks and motioned me to follow. I glanced back at Lenny and ran up to her.

"What should I do?" I asked, trying to be as subtle as possible. There were a few cameras in the ceiling, as usual. I couldn't help but notice that this store had less than others I had been to.

Scarlet shrugged. "Shop. Look around. See if there's anything you need. I'll pay. Get yourself some crayons and a coloring book." She patted me on the head and moved on.

I scowled and walked away, looking at the displays. This store was one of those cute, quaint little shops that tourists would visit. Scarlet, Lenny, and I were the only ones inside. It was . . . cozy, I guess you could say.

Eventually I found myself at the back of the store. Art easels were set up on stands and the price tags were sitting below. In the corner directly above my head was a security camera. Then I saw something else: along the wall was an opening with a waist-high chain blocking it off. I walked closer and saw that the opening led to stairs on the right. I leaned over the chain, which had a sign that read "Employees Only," and looked up the stairs.

"Can I help you, Jay?"

I jumped and spun around, finding myself face-to-face with Lenny. "Oh, I, uh," I stammered. I got a hold of myself and said, "What's up those stairs?"

"My apartment," Lenny said flatly. He leaned over and shouted, "Hey, Kate! Come down here!"

There was a pounding on the stairs, and a woman about the same age as Lenny came down. "Did you finally get customers?" she asked. She noticed me as she reached the bottom and her face lit up. "Oh, you did!"

"Actually, Kate, she's with me!" Scarlet called from across the store.

"Oh." Kate's face fell. "Lenny, when are you going to realize that running your own craft supply store isn't a good idea? Just move us out to the country already!"

"Hey, I've told you," Lenny said sharply, "this is my dream!"

Kate sighed. "I know, I know. Whatever. I'll _try _to be supportive. I need to go back upstairs; I think I hear Daniel calling me." She turned and headed back up, her brown curls bouncing up and down on her shoulders.

Lenny exhaled slowly and started walking back to the counter. I turned to follow him. "Nine years of marriage and three kids," he said absentmindedly. "Let me tell you kid, it's not easy. But she really is trying to support me. I guess I should be grateful for that."

Lenny slipped in behind the counter. Scarlet walked up with a pack of colored pencils in her hands. I moved over to join her. Scarlet said, "Hey, you've got me as your loyal customer."

"Thanks," Lenny said with a tight-lipped grin. "But I need more. Just the pencils?"

"Not unless Jay wants something."

"I'm good, thanks," I assured her.

Lenny scanned the colored pencils. "That'll be five ninety-four." Scarlet pulled out some of the money and placed it on the counter. Lenny put it into his cash register and gave her back the change. "Thanks for buying!" he said.

"Thank you," Scarlet said, staring down at the pencils. She opened the box slowly and pulled one out. "I don't really like red. You keep it." She put it down on the counter.

Lenny picked it up slowly and twirled it between his fingers. "I think red is a beautiful color," he said. "And it goes very well with green."

"Come to think of it, I don't like black either." Scarlet pulled out the black pencil and placed it beside the red one.

"Black is very dark. It looks good with blue, though. I'll see you later, Raven. And nice to meet you, Jay."

"Nice to meet you too, Lenny," I said. I was still a bit confused by the odd display.

Scarlet and I turned to leave the store. As we walked out the door, I said, "I find it hard to believe that you don't like red, considering your na—" I broke off and Scarlet glared at me. I pursed my lips and shrunk back, realizing my mistake. "I mean, black, because your name is Raven."

"Black is too negative," Scarlet said. I felt that there was some deeper meaning to those words, but I had yet to understand what it was.

As we walked down the street, I noticed Scarlet slide the box of pencils into the pocket of her cloak. She adjusted the hood and tilted her head a little, signaling me down another street. "Where to next?" I asked her.

"Starbucks," she replied as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

"I need caffeine." We stopped in front of the coffee shop and Scarlet turned to me. "Need anything?"

"No, I'm good. I'm not a coffee fan."

"Suit yourself. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Scarlet stepped through the door. I leaned against the wall, out of the way of the passerby. The clock on the building opposite me read 7:32. One hour and twenty-eight minutes until curfew. I wondered what else Scarlet was going to have us do. Would we slip into the alley like before? Would we have to go through the sewers again?

As I stood to the side and looked out at the crowd, something caught my eye. There was a man on the street corner. That wasn't at all unusual, except he looked—I leaned forward to get another look—he looked _a lot _like the pictures I had seen of my uncle Chase.

I'm not sure what was going through my mind at the moment. Nothing rational, I can tell you that. It should've been obvious, but it wasn't. Curiosity made my feet move forward. Curiosity made me walk into the crowd, all the while keeping my eyes locked on the stranger that looked like my dead uncle. Curiosity put me right in the path of danger.

Before I knew what was happening, something slammed into me. I fell sideways, into the gutter. Mud splashed my cloak as I landed on my back. The roaring wheels of nearby traffic were inches from my face and I was milliseconds away from screaming. Suddenly someone grabbed my arm and yanked me—with incredible strength—up onto the curb.

For a few seconds I stood there, shaking. I turned to see the man who looked like my uncle begin to cross the street. It was now incredibly obvious that it _wasn't _Uncle Chase. Why did I ever think it could be? The most recent pictures we had of my uncle were taken months before he died, when he was only twenty. He would be much older by now. And he was _dead_, for crying out loud! My mom wouldn't lie to me like that.

I turned back to my rescuer. "Thank you," I said breathlessly. Once I got a good look at him, however, my heart skipped a beat.

"You should really watch where you're going, pedestrian," Snake said curtly. "I'm sure The Sovereign doesn't want the streets polluted with your intestines."

The breath hitched in my throat and my head began to swim. He looked a bit different standing directly in front of me instead of on a screen, but this was undeniably The Sovereign's son. His calculating brown eyes studied me from head to toe. Two bionic army members stood behind him, staring at me with the same cold gaze. They had to be older than Snake himself; neither could've been over twenty-five.

"I-I . . ." I stammered. "Y-You're . . . you're . . ."

"Snake," he said firmly. "Son of our glorious leader, The Sovereign, and one of the most powerful and influential commanders in all of the Bionic Army. Otherwise known as: a man who has no time for clumsy children like you. Learn to walk, and learn to stay out of the way of your leaders." He began to walk away, but seemed to think better of it. Snake turned to me, placed two fingers above his right eyebrow, and added, "Hail The Sovereign."

My stomach churned. I thought I would finally be done with that salute after leaving school. But this was _Snake_, and I knew that there was no way I could back out of this. Here I go again, pledging my life to a leader I hated. The fingers found their way to my eyebrow and my lips parted to say the disgusting words: "Hail The Sovereign."

Snake removed his fingers and smiled at me. It wasn't a kind smile, that's for sure. It curled up his face like the creature he was named after, and it had all the venom of said creature. He reached up to adjust his black hat, causing the long brown hair underneath to sway. Snake snapped his fingers and the bionic soldiers jumped to attention, following him as he walked away.

I turned back to the coffee shops, eyes wide and heart beating wildly. Next to the doorway stood Scarlet. A cup of coffee was in her hands. Her eyes were just as wide as—if not wider than—mine. There was something undeniable there; something I never thought I would see Scarlet show: _fear_. She had _fear _in her eyes, and lots of it.

"What are you doing?" she hissed as she walked up, her cheeks pale.

"I . . . he . . ." I stuttered.

"J-Jay," she said in a strained voice, "why was Snake talking to you?"

"He saved me from getting crushed by taxies," I said. My head felt like it was full of nothing but air and my ears were ringing. I had no idea how to feel, think, or react.

"How . . . _generous _of him," Scarlet said slowly. She turned and stared after the young man. He was still walking down the street. Everyone moved out of his way and a few bowed their heads in respect.

"You were standing there," I said hoarsely. "Why didn't you help me?" We both knew that I wasn't talking about getting flattened by traffic; I was talking about Snake.

"I . . . didn't see you." She was lying.

"Yes you did," I replied.

"You were safe, Jay." Hopefully I was the only one that picked up the irony in her tone. "Snake saved you from the cars."

"He's . . ." I paused, realizing that it might not be best to say that he scared me. Admittedly, that was probably exactly what The Sovereign wanted; however, I wasn't about to give him that pleasure. Or risk saying the wrong thing.

"Jay," Scarlet said, still using her slow and careful tone, "let's go to a candy store and get you a nice treat, huh?" During all this time, Scarlet's eyes had never left Snake's retreating back.

"I don't need a treat."

Scarlet finally looked at me. Her eyes were still wide. Her skin was still pale. I could tell that her breathing was ragged. "Don't argue," she said stiffly. "We're going to the candy store now . . . _please_."

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><p><strong>I have to admit, I <strong>**_adore _****how that scene with Snake came out. I especially loved how he turned back to her and made her say that little pledge, almost as an afterthought. And how he saved her from traffic. Any conflicted feelings about that? Our villain saved our hero. Ah, seriously, that was SO much fun to write!**

**1. I'm curious about what you guys think of Snake, so here's what I'll ask you to do: Describe Snake in three words. Any three words! I want to know what your impression of him is.**

**2. Lenny? Colored pencils? Red and black? What the heck? It's a pretty crazy system they've got going on, but what do you think they're up to? And do you trust Lenny, or no?**

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><p><strong>RissA15: Yes you did! Great job! Actually, she kinda just danced. XD (But I had to go back and look too.) You did a good job! I like red too. It's my . . . <strong>**_third _****favorite color. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**TheMichiganWriter: It's an ****_awesome _****song. I hope she does too! Hmm, maybe we could use an acronym. The INWRRC or INWTRRC or INWRR Club. (I like the third one. :D) What? Acronyms are always fun! Sure, borrow as many minions as you want! Let's go up to the viewing room to watch. XD Haha, I just had to! I'm glad you could "see" it. ;) Yup, he did! Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

**Labgirl2001: Thanks!**

**Mynameisprettyy: Thank you very much!**

**PurpleNicole531: Ooh, is Stella back now? Did she get Donald out? Hey, we're currently building a new warehouse (number 51 . . . complete coincidence, by the way) specifically for male characters where they have to go . . . CLOTHES SHOPPING! Dun dun dun! XD Oh, you'll hear more about them! Thank you!**

**tennisgirl77: Thanks! I really like her too! :D**

**ShyMusic: Don't worry, Shy, I can't dance either. XD Oh, I'll get my minions to revive him. They've got a bucket of . . . water? Whatever. It will be all over Douglas's face in a minute. Oh, Chasey, you know we love you!  
>Chase: Then why do you torture me?<br>Because we love you!  
>Chase: That makes no logical sense.<br>Pretend it does. You'll live longer that way. Anywho, thanks! Yup, that's his name! Aw, thank you! That's a great compliment! Sometimes I'm worried that I've made things too confusing. Aw, Chase said bye to me! :3 Bye, Chasey!**

**ungerlover: (Chapter 12) Haha, it's okay! I understand. Oh, yeah, I've heard of it! Ha, that security guard was an idiot! XD But who knows? I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the quizzes! (Chapter 13) Yup. -_- Ooh, sounds fun! Thanks! I'm glad you liked it anyway. (Chapter 14) I can't remember if I said this before, but that's what my mom did with me! I still remember a few of those signs from when I was little. XD Interesting guess! :D Guess you'll have to wait and see. There are lots of twists coming up! Ha, it's fine! I confused a lot of people with that. :P (Chapter 15) Yup! :D He's back! I have the whole scene of how Preston proposed in my mind. It involved a lot of ducking behind rocks and shouting and "I want to be with you for the rest of life . . . which may only be a few more seconds!" XD Maybe I'll write it someday. It's fine! Fanfiction is for stories based on movies/books/TV shows/etc. and are in those settings with those characters, but FictionPress is original stories/poems. Does that make more sense? Thanks for all the reviews! :D**

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><p><strong>So I've been thinking of writing a few companion one-shots to this story. I have two ideas so far. One is called "Like Father, Like Genetically-Engineered Son" and the other is "Dead to Me." There is a bit of information about both on my profile (in my ideas section), but no summaries yet because they <strong>**_may _****or ****_may not _****contain spoilers for the next few chapters of this story. ;) They won't be out for a little bit, but would you want to read those?**

**I'll also be updating "Beyond the Woods" on FictionPress later today. It would be appreciated if you could check that out! It's hard to get views/reviews on that site. Thanks!**

**Thank you to everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to review and let me know what you thought. I'll see you all in a little bit for Chapter 17: Seen yet Unseen. Bye!**


	17. Chapter 17: Seen yet Unseen

**Hello lovlies! I am back again. Huzzah! Just finished chapter 20, and boy, am I proud of it! I can't wait for you guys to read it. But before that, you must read chapter 17. So I am here to deliver it to you! I am aware that I'm a bit behind on PMing and reviewing, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things at school. So I'll try to catch up soon! Thanks for being patient with me!**

**Confusing chapter title, hmm? An oxymoron, or so you think. Fun fact: Chapter 16 was originally supposed to be "Seen yet Unseen," but I wound up adding a lot more to that one, so I moved the title to this one. Okay, maybe not a ****_fun _****fact, but I whatever.**

**By the way, remember the soundtrack last chapter, "War of Change"? That song was actually a bit of a warning. Things are changing . . . very soon . . .**

**Chapter 17 soundtrack: "The War Inside" by Switchfoot. This is a fun song, and it's pretty good for the internal struggle soon to come. ;)**

**Let's go! I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs and the story. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 17: Seen yet Unseen * * *<strong>

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><p>It was eight minutes to curfew when Scarlet pulled me into an alley. "I still can't believe it's so easy," I hissed to her.<p>

"I already told you that it's not," she replied quietly. "Besides, you'd be surprised how many people do it. Restwater is an expensive place to stay, and those who somehow find themselves without money have to resort to sleeping back here."

"I haven't seen anyone else."

"Because they're hiding," Scarlet said in a "duh" tone. "Some of these dumpsters have people sleeping in them. They can't be seen by the soldiers, though."

"What's the punishment for getting caught back here?"

"For just sleeping? You'll get fined and might have to spend a few days in prison. If they catch you back here multiple times, then you'll face a much more severe punishment."

"You mean like—"

"Remember Carly from last week? Like that."

I gulped. Then I continued, "You said that's the punishment for just sleeping back here. What else is there to do in a maze of dirty alleys?"

Scarlet smirked. "You'll see."

_That's your answer to everything, _I thought dejectedly. Nevertheless, I followed my mentor through the alleyways. It wasn't long before we stopped.

"See that green dumpster?" Scarlet said, pointing at the large bin near a door. "That one's for garbage. And the blue one beside it is for recycling. Do you see anything on top of either one?"

"On top of?" I asked. "No."

Scarlet walked closer and inspected the bins. "I do," she said. "I see red on green."

"What?"

She reached down and picked up a red colored pencil. My eyes widened. "Red on green," she repeated. "But no blue on black. I told you that black was too negative. Red means he can come out tonight. What time do you have by your watch?"

I lifted my wrist. "8:54," I told her.

"Then he should be out any minute. Come on." Scarlet pulled on my arm and together we ducked behind the dumpsters, out of view of the door.

"This is the back of Lenny's store, isn't it?" I whispered.

"Shh!" she hissed.

After several seconds, the door creaked open. Someone opened up the lid of the dumpster and threw a bag of trash into it. I could hear footsteps as they walked away. As they began to pull the door closed, Scarlet tossed the pencil out into the center of the alley. The person froze and I bit my lip.

"Stupid rats," he growled. The footsteps came closer and soon they were right in front of us. "How's it going, rat?"

"Just fine, Lenny," Scarlet said as she stood up, greeting the craft store owner.

"Good," he whispered. "I've got the stuff for you."

"Oh, Lenny, you're our savior!" Scarlet said.

"I know, right? What would you do without me?" Lenny chuckled and gently opened the recycle bin. He pulled out a large trash bag that looked ready to burst. "This is everything I've been able to gather for the past month. Some food, some water bottles, and some paint."

"With the brushes?"

"Wouldn't dream of leaving them out."

"Seriously, you're the best." Scarlet took the bag and placed it by her feet. She pulled out some money and handed it to him.

"Whoa, that's much more than I paid for it!" Lenny exclaimed. He took nearly half of the money and shoved it back into Scarlet's hand. "And I'm no thief. Keep the cash."

"You're one of the best donors around," Scarlet said. "We truly appreciate everything you've done." She tried to hand the money back.

Lenny put his hands behind his back and replied, "And I wouldn't exactly be a donor if I paid for it, now would I? The Defiance needs that money more than me."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Lenny laughed. "I refuse to take it. I mean, I'll keep this much, but the rest is yours."

Scarlet grinned and pocketed the remaining cash. "Again, Lenny, you're the best."

"Ahem!" I said, breaking into their conversation. "What in the world is going on here?"

"Oh, I don't believe we've met properly," Lenny said with a grin. He held out his hand and I shook it. "Lenny Walters. And you are?"

"Jay," I said slowly.

"Aspen," Scarlet corrected. "Her name is Aspen Summers. She's my protégé."

"Summers, hmm?" Lenny said. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Bree Summers?"

"She's my mom," I replied.

"Good for you. Bree's a great girl."

"You know my mom?"

"Kind of. She and my older brother Owen dated for a couple of months in high school. And now she runs the greatest rebellion in the world. I'll do anything to get rid of The Sovereign. He's suffocating the creative vision of the people!"

"Oh, yeah, my mom told me about Owen," I said. "You seem a lot like him."

Lenny shrugged. "He's much more introspective and philosophical than I am. But we love art equally! Why do you think I opened a craft store?"

"Hey, Aspen," Scarlet interrupted, "what time do you have now?"

"8:59," I read.

"Shoot, I've got to get inside," Lenny said. "It was nice meeting you, Aspen. You two be careful tonight!"

"Got it," Scarlet said.

Lenny walked to the door. Once he reached it, he turned back and shouted, "And don't come back, you filthy varmints!" before heading inside.

"Like we talked about last week," Scarlet said, turning to me, "you've got to trick the cameras. So does Lenny."

"I understand," I said. "So, there's food in that bag?"

"Food and other supplies," Scarlet said. "I've got some finer points of rebellion to teach you about tonight. You see, Aspen, the Defiance hides out, right? We don't want to be seen."

"Right."

"But rebellion doesn't work unless the people you're rebelling against—in this case, The Sovereign—know you're there. So we need to let them know we're here without getting caught. Be seen, but remain unseen. Got it?"

"Not really," I answered honestly.

"It's okay; you will. Come on. We're heading to a different spot today. Caleb told me last week where they'd be. No sewer trips this time."

"Thank you," I sighed gratefully.

"It's still a bit of a walk, though. Keep your sixth sense alert; we don't need any more unexpected encounters like at Starbucks."

* * *

><p>Scarlet walked into the alley doing her bird calls. She told me to observe closely so I could learn it. Scarlet cawed four times, Caleb answered with one call, Scarlet did another call, and Caleb finished with three. It was the pattern so the kids knew it was safe to come out.<p>

Lenny had packed all sorts of treats in the bag. Scarlet told me that he saved scraps for a month, and that was why he gave them to us on the final Monday. There were all kinds of foods wrapped in paper. Most of it was hard food that wouldn't spoil, but there were also some meat, fruits, and vegetables that must have been put in there recently.

As we handed out the food, Scarlet took out some other things and placed them nearby. "What are those?" I asked her.

She held up the cans. "Paint," she said simply. She rummaged through the bag and pulled out some paintbrushes.

"Why did Lenny give us paint?" I asked.

"I'll show you later tonight," Scarlet replied. "Just focus on handing out the food right now, okay?"

I nodded and pulled out more of the wrapped-up food. Lizzie walked up to me and we smiled at each other. "Hi Lizzie," I said gently. "Would you like something to eat?"

She nodded mutely and rubbed her stomach.

"That's what I thought," I said with a chuckle. "Here." I handed her a chicken leg, a water bottle, and a banana.

Lizzie accepted the food and looked down at it with wide eyes. She ran back over to her friend, who had already gotten her food. They sat together and began to share with each other. I couldn't help but smile. They had so little, but they were so generous with that little bit.

"Hey Aspen," Caleb said as he came up to me.

"Hi Caleb," I replied, pulling out an apple and handing it to him.

He took the fruit and bit into it, smiling at me. "Thanks. Mmm, fresh! Don't get that often around here. Lenny's the best."

"Have you ever met him?"

Caleb sat down beside me and began to help hand out the food. "I've never met him personally, no. But I have heard of him. And I also know that he's been giving us food for years. So I like him."

"Apparently he's the younger brother of someone my mom dated in high school," I muttered. "The world is a lot smaller than I thought it was."

"That's probably how he got involved in this in the first place," Caleb said.

"I wonder how many other people involved with the Defiance knew my mom and her brothers in high school."

"Probably more than you think. And I'm sure everyone has at least _heard _of them. I mean, they were the biggest news story of 2014."

"Oh, yeah, my mom told me all about that: when the world discovered their bionics."

Soon Caleb and I had slipped into a friendly conversation. We kept it up until later that night when the rest of the kids were done eating. After that, Caleb rounded us up so we could set up the watch.

"Aspen and I are going together tonight," Scarlet announced before Caleb could say anything.

"Okay," he replied. "How about we mix things up, then? Kirsten, you can come with me for third watch. Naomi and Peter, you take first. Scarlet and Aspen, you get second."

Everyone nodded and Naomi and Peter headed towards the end of the alley. Scarlet and I walked over with Caleb and Kirsten. The blankets we had brought last week were still in the possession of each child. Caleb brought out two extras for us. We all laid down together on the hard ground and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Up, kiddo. It's our watch."<p>

I groaned and rolled over to see Scarlet hovering over me, a faint smile on her lips. I pushed the blanket off and stood up, stretching my arms. "Naomi and Peter . . ." I began.

"Already asleep," she said. "Come on. I have something new to show you."

"Does it have to do with the paint?" I asked as we walked down the alley together.

"As a matter of fact, it does." Scarlet stopped to pick up the bag, which no longer had food in it. The only things left were the paint cans and brushes.

Together we walked to the entrance of the alley. There was no platform to sit on like the one we had been in last week. Scarlet put the bag down and got onto her knees. I crouched beside her.

"Okay, kiddo," she said, turning to face me. "Let's go back to our conversation from earlier so I can elaborate on some things. You know that the Defiance hides out, right?"

"Oh, so is that why we have all those underground bases? I thought it was the latest architectural style," I said sarcastically.

"Point taken," Scarlet said. "But don't get sassy. Anyway, the Defiance obviously hides out so we won't get caught. We tend to strike from the shadows and disappear before our enemies can see us. We do things that won't gain a lot of attention; things that will throw the bionics off our trail."

"I'm with you so far."

"Well, there's really no point to rebellion unless your enemies know that you're there. The Bionic Army can't know who we have on our side or how we operate, but they have to know that we exist. Otherwise there's not really any point to what we do. We're here to defy the system—hence 'Defiance.'"

"Of course. Defy is another word for rebel. Defiance is another word for rebellion. That's where it came from."

"Precisely. So we have to let them know that we defy . . . and why. The 'why' is pretty obvious. I mean, no one but The Sovereign himself likes his rule."

"And his creep of a son."

"Yes, and Snake. And the bionic soldiers who . . ." Scarlet trailed off and said, "We're getting off track. We have to make The Sovereign aware of our presence, but we can't get caught. That's where these come in." She held up the paintbrushes.

"What are we going to do with them?" I asked.

"Have you ever heard of graffiti?" my mentor asked.

"Yeah. It's illegal, and you can be executed for it. Any walls with graffiti on them are torn down and rebuilt."

"Graffiti has always been looked down on, even in the olden days—you know, twenty-five years ago. Lately, however, the punishments for it have become much more severe. The Sovereign even outlawed spray paint to make it harder. We still have this kind of paint, though."

"So we're going to do graffiti?"

"It won't be the chicken scratch you usually think of as graffiti, but yes, we're going to paint the walls."

"Won't they get torn down?"

"Not back here. First of all, not many people see them. Secondly, these walls are too important to the structure of the city to tear down. They'd have to pull down businesses, apartments . . . you get the idea. They'll probably clean it, but that's exactly what we want. We want to get noticed."

"What do we write?"

"The Defiance doesn't have a symbol, per say. But whenever one of us draws on the walls, we leave basically the same mark: a blue letter 'D.' It doesn't matter what else you do or how the D looks, but you need to have one and it needs to be blue. It's the symbol that lets them know we're the ones who were here."

"I see," I said.

"Let's get started." Scarlet opened up the cans of paint and handed me a brush. I looked down at it and pursed my lips.

"You should know that I have zero artistic talent," I told her. "My stick figures look like actual sticks."

"Doesn't matter," Scarlet said as she opened a can of blue paint. "You don't have to draw anything. Or just draw a bunch of swirls, if you want. Feel free to keep it simple. You can also write. Phrases like 'Give us our freedom back!' work great. Just nothing too extreme. Oh, and try to fudge your handwriting as much as possible. They might be able to trace it."

"How do you suggest I do that?"

"Write with your left hand. It's what I do."

I dipped my brush into a can of red paint and put it in my left hand. I tapped the end of the brush on my lip and contemplated what to write. It came to me and I grinned. Slowly and awkwardly I wrote out the letters. My left-handed writing wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't as good as my right. The letters were shaky and uneven, which in this case was probably a good thing.

Scarlet painted large, brightly-colored dots and swirls all over the wall. In the center of her work she left an open space. She glanced down at my writing and said, "'We deserve freedom.' Nice. That'll get their attention."

"Not as much as those neon colors," I said, pointing at her work.

"That's what they're meant to do. I'm going to start on the D now; feel free to work on other phrases or just a bunch of wild patterns. Whatever suits you."

"See, this is why I was never an artist," I said as I put a few dots around my writing. "I need more order than that. 'Artistic freedom' confuses me. There needs to be structure."

"That's a good idea, in theory. But watch yourself; you're starting to sound like The Sovereign."

"Well I definitely don't want to do that." I grimaced, then looked up at my mentor. "Speaking of The Sovereign, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Is it personal?" Scarlet grunted as she jumped up and down, trying to paint some lines higher up.

"It might be."

"Then no."

I bit my lip and continued, "Why were you so afraid of Snake earlier?"

Scarlet froze for a second. "He's a commander of the Bionic Army, Aspen. He's The Sovereign's son! You were already in over your head; if I had stepped in, things would have been worse."

"That's not what I asked you," I said smoothly. "I asked why you were afraid. I saw it in your eyes. You were terrified of him, and I want to know why."

"Aren't you afraid of him too?" Scarlet asked after a few moments.

"Yes. But not like you seemed to be. Come on, Scarlet, you can tell me."

"I can't!" Scarlet said roughly. Her red streak got thicker and began to waver a bit.

"Why not?" I persisted.

"It's _personal_," Scarlet spat.

"Now you're just using that as an excuse. Scarlet, this is getting absolutely ridiculous. Tell me what's going on. Tell me now!"

Scarlet gave a cry of anger and threw her brush down. It clattered against the hard ground and rolled next to the cans of paint.

"Scarlet," I said gently but firmly, "tell me."

* * *

><p><strong>Ooh, cliffhanger! Who doesn't love them? Wait . . . the readers don't. Right! I forgot, sorry. :3 You'd better get used to it; this cliffy is <strong>**_extremely _****mild compared to what I have coming.**

**Don't ask how Lenny wound up being Owen's younger brother. I don't know. I wanted him to know Bree somehow, and originally he was Caitlin's younger brother, but then I thought, "No, he owns a craft store; he's Owen's brother."**

**No questions and short replies today. I'm rushing a bit here. Youth group is in a half an hour. Gah!**

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><p><strong>HawiianChick12: Haha, nice! Yes, it was. :) I forgot about that!<strong>

**LabGirl2001: Thanks! Yeah, she did, didn't she?**

**AllAmericanSlurp: (Chapter 15) It's fine. :3 Thanks! I've never had sushi, actually. So I don't know. (Chapter 16) Wow, that's an . . . odd thought. XD Who knows! Urm, I haven't put much thought into that. I drew a picture of him during church on Sunday, but I can't think of an actor who would portray him. I'll let you know if I find one! Thanks!**

**TheMichiganWriter: Hmm, good guess! I suppose we'll find out soon. ;) Oh, no, I didn't! Yikes! That's kinda scary. O.o Oh, this'll be great. Go Minions! :D *grabs popcorn***

**RissA15: She saw a doppelgänger of Chase. So it wasn't really him, sorry! Haha! I have a hard time with just a few words, too. :P Well, she's fine with them. It was just part of the code. ;)**

**ShyMusic: That whole review had me laughing the entire time! Unfortunately I don't have time to reply to it all. But thanks! Yeah, I like to trick you! XD Sorry! Minions! Go get streamers! I'm sure this will work. :3 Bye, Shy and Chase!**

**Tor Raptor: I blame doppelgängers. They exist! But your "wacky theories" made me laugh! Thanks!**

**tennisgirl77: Good words. :) Thanks!**

**PurpleNicole531: Nice! Yup, he's a bad guy. XD Ooh, Brandon! Welcome to the wonderful world of Lab Rats fanfiction. It's nice to have you. I'm sure you'll . . . ****_enjoy _****it. *steeples fingers***

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><p><strong>Thanks to all for reviewing! And just reading! I'll see you next time for Chapter 18: Talk. Bye!<strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Talk

**Hi everyone! I'm back already! Chapter 21 was just finished, and I am SO excited about that one. Things we be revealed, and soon! So now I shall give you the next chapter. I know you're all just ****_dying _****to find out about Scarlet. ;)**

**Chapter 18 soundtrack: "Right Here" by Ashes Remain. It's another great friendship song. Highly recommended while you read! Don't forget that links are posted on my profile.**

**By the way, speaking of profiles, I've got a new poll up. It's not a super-important one, but check it out if you'd like!**

**Let's get on with it! I won't hold you back anymore. I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>* * * Chapter 18: Talk * * *<strong>

* * *

><p>"I don't need to explain myself to you . . . a fifteen year old girl!"<p>

"And who's the one acting immature right now?" I protested.

"Why are you so hung up on this? The past is the past, Aspen! My past shouldn't affect you."

"No, but it affects _you_, which in turn affects me. I'm just trying to find answers."

"Why?" Scarlet's voice was strained. I could see the anger in her eyes, but she wouldn't meet my gaze.

"I think the more important question is why you're so scared to talk."

"I'm not scared."

"You are too. Scarlet, something happened to you."

"Let me rephrase my earlier statement: it _doesn't _affect you."

"Oh, but I think it does. The way you act now _is _affecting me. I need to know that you'll be there. Earlier with Snake, you weren't helping me. I need to know that if something like that happens again, you won't leave me on my own. I need to know that I can trust you."

"You can trust me."

"That's not enough."

"You think you'll be able to pry this out of me?" Scarlet threw back her head and gave a mirthless laugh. "So many others have tried and failed."

"I know that I can annoy you until you talk," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

Scarlet scowled and turned to face me. "You're a brat," she said.

As I was thinking of a comeback, I felt something tap my thigh. I looked down to see Lizzie standing there, her eyes wide. I knelt down. "Are you okay, Lizzie?" I asked gently.

She blinked slowly, then looked between me and Scarlet.

"We're just having a little disagreement," Scarlet said as she got on her knees beside me.

"I'm sorry if we woke you up," I added. "Come on, let's go back to bed. It's late." I stood up and took Lizzie's hand, guiding her back to the blankets. Scarlet hung back and I heard her pick up her paintbrush.

Lizzie got under her blanket and looked up at me. I smiled and helped tuck the blanket in around her. She placed her hands under her cheek and laid them down on the hard ground. I patted her shoulder and thought I should do something to help her fall asleep.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word," I sung quietly. "Papa's gonna bring you a mockingbird." A small smile curled up Lizzie's lips. I continued the song, quoting as much as I could from my memory—which was the whole thing, considering I have super-intelligence.

By the time I was done, Lizzie's slow, rhythmical breathing told me she was asleep. I rubbed her back a little, feeling her worn clothes through the blanket. Beneath those clothes was her tiny frame, which seemed so delicate. I had seen many girls at my school try to lose weight and become thinner. I never judged them; that was their call. But to see someone this thin because they had no other choice was heartbreaking.

I stood up and headed back down the alley. Scarlet gave a small smile as I approached. "You're pretty good with kids," she commented.

I crouched down and picked up my brush, dipping it into a can of green paint. "I always wanted a little brother or sister," I said as I drew a few swirls on the wall. "By the time I did, though, it was too late. My dad was already dead. Do you . . . do you know that feeling? Of wanting siblings?"

Scarlet chuckled. "This always comes back to me."

"Yes, because I want to know."

"Then no, I don't know that feeling."

"Did you ever have siblings?"

Scarlet sighed. "Aspen . . ."

"Scarlet . . ."

"You're really hung up on this, aren't you? I'm not required to share anything with you, so just forget it already!"

"You're not really required to do anything," I pointed out. "In the long run, you're really not. We're never_ required _to share something with another person. Unless it's . . . the government or something . . . I don't know. Look, my point is, I'm asking so I can learn more about you."

"Maybe I don't want you to learn more about me."

"We're just going in circles here!" I let my voice raise a bit, but I was careful not to wake up anybody else in the alley. "I want to know and you won't tell me!"

"And I've given you all the reasons why—"

"The excuses!" I cut her off. "You've given me nothing but excuses!"

"I've given you _reasons_. Aspen, you wouldn't _want _to know about my past. I have secrets, yes, but they're dangerous ones! They're ones that you shouldn't know!"

"Why?"

"For your safety!"

"Oh, I'm sick of that! You and my mom are so alike! 'Safety, safety,' blah, blah, blah! I'm a fifteen year old and a member of the Defiance."

"You're immature and you're only a protégé!"

"Whatever. I'm still a member! I passed the Trials and everything. I can't force you to tell me anything—"

"You're sure as heck trying."

"Yes, I am. What could be so bad that you can't tell me about if for 'safety reasons'?"

"Nothing!"

"Scarlet, I'm not three! 'Nothing' is always, _always _code for 'something!' Why don't you ever talk? Why can't you tell me?"

"Because I'm The Sovereign's daughter, okay?" Scarlet shouted. She put a hand on her forehead and groaned. "Just make me blurt it out, why don't you?"

Silence fell over the alley. Now, my brain moves pretty fast, and I can analyze things quickly. But my mind still became all foggy trying to process what Scarlet had just said. "You're . . . he . . . you . . . The Sovereign is your _father_?" I stammered.

Scarlet held up her hand and pursed her lips. "Biologically, genetically, yes, he's my father. In every other way, the answer would be no."

I blinked and tried to talk, but to no avail. "I . . . think I have more questions than before," I finally said.

"See, that's what I was afraid of," Scarlet groaned. "There is _so _much for me to explain. Come on, sit down."

I agreed, sitting cross-legged next to Scarlet on the pavement. Before she could say anything, I blurted out, "Are you a spy?"

Scarlet inhaled deeply and shook her head. "I'm kind of sad that you would think that about me," she said slowly. "But I'm not surprised. No, I'm not a spy. I swear on the Defiance oath that I'm not a spy."

"I don't understand . . ." Things began to fall into place and I continued, "So Snake is your brother. That's why you were afraid of him!"

"Yes," she replied curtly. Scarlet lifted a strand of her black hair and let it fall to her shoulder again. "Hair dye and colored contact lenses can only do so much. I'm unrecognizable from how I used to look five years ago . . . hopefully. But if he got too close, he'd know who I am."

"I'm not entirely sure that I believe you," I said. "I mean, how in the _world _are _you _related to _him_?"

"Snake or The Sovereign?"

"Both!"

"Well, The Sovereign, way back when he first took everything over, knew that he wouldn't live forever—oh, believe me, he's working on it, though. He needed heirs, so he created two kids to take over his throne one day."

"You and Snake."

"Exactly. He made us to do his dirty work. We were closer to him than anyone else. He also raised us to help lead the Bionic Army."

"Hold up!" I yelled. "You're . . . you're _bionic_!"

"Was!" Scarlet said quickly, glaring at me. "That's the key word here. I _was _bionic."

I put a hand on my temple and shook my head. "This is too much to take in."

"There's a lot more," Scarlet said, looking down at her lap. "Do you know how The Sovereign keeps his Bionic Army in check?"

"Brainwashing through the school system and lots of conditioning," I said without hesitation.

"Good guess. That may be part of it, but that's not all. We have to go way back for this one. When your grandfather—the one that's dead now . . ."

"Douglas?"

"Yes, that one. When Douglas Davenport created your mom and her brothers, he added in a special feature that would control their bionics. It was called the Triton App."

"It took complete control of the bionic system, making the subject do whatever the controller wanted," I said. "Grandpa Douglas made it back when he was still evil. But it was destroyed and erased from all bionic systems. It's been gone for years."

"Not true," Scarlet said. "The Sovereign learned how to work it. He tweaked it a lot, but the basic idea was still the same. Now, it's incredibly hard to control millions of soldiers one by one. So rather than having _direct _control of their systems, The Sovereign uses the Triton App to put this . . . _idea _into their heads. When someone receives bionics, they automatically become incapable of disloyalty."

"So you mean they couldn't betray The Sovereign even if they wanted to?" I clarified.

"Precisely. Now, for me and Snake, the design of our apps were much more similar to the original. The Sovereign could completely and totally control our minds and actions whenever he wanted."

"That's . . ." I searched my extensive vocabulary for the proper word and finished, "horrifying."

"Very," Scarlet said, playing with her fingers. "_Very _horrifying. It's horrifying when someone else has control of you. All you can do is sit there in the back of your brain and watch it like a movie."

"I'm . . . sorry," I said awkwardly.

"Don't be," Scarlet said. "That's the way life is. Some people have it all, and some people have it all to get."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that life is completely unfair, and some just aren't as privileged as others. Some are born lucky; others are lucky to be born. But it doesn't matter. I don't need your pity, Aspen. I don't want it. Besides, life certainly has gotten easier lately. The Defiance is my family now."

"Speaking of which, how did you wind up with the Defiance in the first place?"

Scarlet exhaled slowly and leaned back. "I got too close," she said. "When I was fourteen, I was sent on a scouting mission with Snake and a few other bionics. To make a long story short, I got separated from them and wound up accidentally captured by some Defiance members. A few of them—I think one was your uncle, Adam—hit me on the head hard enough to knock me out. They weren't sure what to do, so they took me back to a base. I think they wanted to use me as a hostage or something."

"They took you back to a base?" I said incredulously.

"It was a locked room way in the back. I was unconscious while they brought me in. I didn't know where I was."

"Still seems a bit irresponsible."

"It probably was," Scarlet chuckled. "But remember, one of them was Adam."

"Okay, now I understand." We laughed together.

"The room they brought me into had bionic signal interrupters in it," Scarlet continued. "Which meant The Sovereign couldn't connect to my Triton App. I was fully myself when I asked your grandfather to remove my bionics."

"_Remove _your bionics? Is that possible?"

"Nope," Scarlet said, shaking her head firmly. "But he told me that he could deactivate them. So that's what happened. I still have a bionic chip in my neck, just like you do. I just can't use my bionics. They're completely dead, and the only ones who could turn them back on are Donald Davenport and The Sovereign."

"It makes sense why my mom wanted me to go with you," I said slowly. "I mean, you have more reason than anyone to stay away from The Sovereign!"

"Exactly. He won't kill me, but he'll turn me into his mindless soldier all over again. Chances are that he could use my memories to find the Defiance bases, just like he could with yours."

"He could do that?"

"With your bionic memory bank, for sure. And with mine too, if he managed to save all my memories."

"That's creepy."

"That's why we have to stay far away from The Sovereign. If he gets any bionic prisoners that aren't his own mindless soldiers, he _will _turn them."

"Wow. So . . . so you're really his daughter."

Scarlet sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. Aspen, I never lied to you about not having a last name. I genuinely _don't _have one."

"The Sovereign doesn't have a name?" I asked.

"Not that I know of. He's only gone by 'The Sovereign' in all the years I've known him—so all my life."

"And you don't have a mom?"

"I probably do, somewhere. Some poor woman whose DNA somehow wound up in the hands of a diabolical leader who used that DNA to create two kids. I mean, for all I know, Snake is only my half-brother." Scarlet gave a breathy laugh. "Hard to believe he's my brother at all."

"I know," I muttered. "You're so . . . well, okay, I can see some similarities."

Scarlet glowered at me. "You be careful, or you'll see just how similar I can be!"

"Okay, okay!" I said, holding my hands up in defeat. "But if you're The Sovereign's daughter, how are you . . . you know . . . not evil?"

Scarlet shrugged. "My mother must have been an angel. She'd have to be, to balance out all the devil I got from The Sovereign."

"You don't even call him dad."

"Why would I? He did nothing but make my life miserable. He was barely involved in it. He was a drill sergeant, not a father. Our ruler, not our dad."

"I can believe it," I said. "But . . . how have you managed to stay away from him all these years?"

Scarlet smirked. "He thinks I'm dead. I faked my own death to throw him off my trail. Then I dyed my hair and wore special lenses to make my eyes appear green. I stayed low for a while, and eventually I came out a little bit. I've always stuck to the shadows. Like I said, they shouldn't be able to recognize me, but up close, they might. I mean, I did spend fourteen years of my life with Snake."

"That sounds awful."

"Oh, it was. And he was that 'perfect child,' always kissing up to The Sovereign and trying to make me look like the bad guy. Although . . . I guess I kind of am, now. To them, at least." Scarlet laughed.

"I want a sibling, but I wouldn't want a brother like _him_," I said. "No offense."

"Please, none taken," Scarlet scoffed. "I don't want a brother like him either."

"It's so weird to think about," I continued. "I mean . . . him and you . . . the two of you are related." I cocked my head and squinted. "It's hard to fathom."

Scarlet bowed her head. "I hope this doesn't change how you look at me. Yeah, I'm his daughter, but I'm still _Scarlet_. I'm still the one who's going to point out every little mistake you make. Like the fact that you spelled 'freedom' wrong."

I glanced frantically at the wall. "Not possible," I began to say, but Scarlet broke me off with her laughing.

"Made you look!" she taunted.

"Yeah, I'm not going to look at you any differently," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Good. Now that I've spilled my guts to you, let's get back to our painting. We've fallen behind already. Get the brush. Be careful not to spread it too far! We only need one little section."

I turned back to the wall and grabbed my brush. As I began to draw some diagonal lines, I turned to look up at Scarlet. _The Sovereign's daughter is my mentor . . . wow._

* * *

><p>We walked out of the alley after telling the kids goodbye. Scarlet led me through the depths of Restwater, navigating through the back streets with ease.<p>

"This is when you were bombarding me with questions last week," Scarlet teased.

"It almost seems unnatural for me not to be asking you about you life," I said with a laugh. "I actually know it now."

"Okay, kid, you're good. I'll admit it."

"I'm surprised you actually did open up to me."

"Well, you're my protégé. You were going to find out at some point. So what the heck? Besides, I'm not willing to put up with that nagging for a few more years. I didn't even last a week!"

"How long does this whole mentor-protégé thing last, anyway?" I asked.

"Until I say it's over," Scarlet replied. "Once I think you're ready, you get to move up in the Defiance ranks. Then you can become a mentor yourself, or be a spy or something. You know, one of those people who work alone. Ah, I'd love to do that."

"Sounds perfect for you. I mean . . ." I trailed off and blinked, staring straight ahead.

"Hey, Aspen!" Scarlet said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "What are you doing?"

I glared at her and pushed her hand away. "There's someone coming," I said hoarsely. "A few people, actually. Down that alley. They're headed for this one. They're . . . _running_."

"Maybe it's some of those alley sleepers," Scarlet said hesitantly.

"I don't think so," I said, shaking my head. A loud clang came from the alley, followed by a few angry shouts. I saw a brief flash of light from around the corner and the footsteps continued. "Bionics," I whispered.

"No," Scarlet mumbled. "I know their path. They . . . they shouldn't be here. This is bad. This is very, very bad. Come on, Aspen!"

We took off running down the alley. I could now hear boots pounding against the pavement. They were chasing us. The motion sensor in Scarlet's belt began beeping and vibrating. She put a hand on it and kept running.

I skidded to a halt and reached out to stop my mentor. "There are more coming from the other way!" I gasped. "They're closing in on us!"

Scarlet glanced around frantically. Her eyes locked with mine and she murmured, "I'm sorry, Aspen."

"Whatever happens, it's not your fault," I assured her.

Scarlet bent down and picked up a piece of pipe lying nearby. We must have been behind a hardware store or something. She handed the pipe to me and grabbed one for herself. "Ready to put all that whack training to good use?" she said.

I nodded and together we stood back-to-back, pipes raised in front of us. We stood, not even daring to breathe, as the footsteps grew closer. We prepared ourselves for the fight.

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><p><strong>Haha! XD See, I told you the cliffhangers would get worse! You should see what I have planned for chapter 19! And chapter 20 . . . and 21 . . . I'm evil like that. }:)<strong>

**Okay, YES! For crying out loud, yes! Scarlet is The Sovereign's daughter! You guys were too smart for me! Did I manage to trick ****_anyone_****?**

**1. Now that you know who Scarlet really is, do you see her any differently? Do you still trust her? Or no?**

**2. Did anyone catch the Avatar: The Last Airbender reference? Hints: Scarlet says it, and it's a reference to one of Zuko's lines (one of my favorite lines, actually). Shout-outs in the next chapter if you can guess it correctly!**

**3. Any guesses about what'll happen next chapter? Wild theories are accepted! I've pulled anticlimaxes before. Is this one of them?**

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><p><strong>TheMichiganWriter: I believe you were one of the people to guess correctly about Scarlet. XD Congratulations! Wow, really? Did you bring it up, or someone else? I was smiling all night after I read that! :D Ooh, those minions are sneaky. You know, I found a FISH in my shower this morning. Minion 59 'fessed up to it. Oh, yeah, don't give them scissors. That's Minion Rule #15. ;) Thanks!<strong>

**HawiianChick12: Not quite! XD But that was an excellent guess!**

**PurpleNicole531: Yes, your theory is correct! I can't trick you guys. ;) Congratulations! Oh, yes, those poor, poor boys. Oh well. Who wants to watch WALL-E? :D Yes, they are, but they're fun for me! :P Thanks!**

**LabGirl2001: I know, right? XD Sorry! They were kinda whisper-yelling, and they woke up Lizzie, like you saw. :)**

**Tor Raptor: Thank you so much! I was smiling for a full five minutes straight after I read your review. I think my dad thought I finally lost it. XD Thanks! I wanted to do something a bit complex. Haha, yeah, the title came first! I thought it might be nice to incorporate that into the graffiti though. Thank you again, so much! :D**

**tennisgirl77: Haha, sorry! They'll only get worse from here. :P Well, I personally think so. XD Thanks!**

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><p><strong>So . . . thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated, of course. I'm so grateful to y'all! Seriously, over 180 reviews already? That's awesome! I'm guessing that this story is about . . . <strong>**_halfway _****done? There'll probably be around 35 chapters, but who knows. This chapter was number eight in my original outline. XD**

**Anyway, I have a feeling chapter 22 won't be so easy for me to write because I'm still a bit iffy on the plot. But I will do my best! Hopefully I won't get cursed by writer's block. I'll see you guys back again soon for Chapter 19: A Royal Pain. Bye!**


	19. Chapter 19: A Royal Pain

**Hey everyone! I'm finally back! Yay! Thanks for all the super-sweet reviews. You guys are seriously awesome, and I don't think I tell you that enough. Thank you! :D**

**No one caught the Avatar reference last chapter. :( It was the paragraph where Scarlet talked about some being born lucky, and other are lucky to be born. The whole paragraph was structured after Zuko's line, which is now on my profile under my "favorite quotes" section.**

**So . . . Rise of the Secret Soldiers aired last night. WOW! I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but it was AMAZING. However (yup, there's a "however"), I was right. We Deserve Freedom is officially an AU. *sort of kind of almost not really spoiler warning for ROTSS* The thing that clinched it was actually the mind-control device Krane created. ****_I'm not saying that The Sovereign is Krane _****(though he might be), but I am saying that The Sovereign would've been able to get his hands on that device, and, frankly, it would've been waaay too powerful for him to have. I have a set history for WDF in my mind, and ROTSS doesn't fit into that. SO: Everything up to "Merry Glitchmas" happened, but everything after that episode did NOT. Does that make sense? And don't worry, the official history of WDF will be explained eventually!**

**Chapter 19 soundtrack: "Battle Cry" by Skillet. It's a nice "fight to the end" song, which is perfect for this chapter.**

**I won't keep you any longer! I know you're all anxious to find out what happens. I don't own Lab Rats, only my OCs. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>* * * Chapter 19: A Royal Pain * * *<strong>

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><p>Around the corner came several Bionic Army soldiers. They moved to create a blockade and a few came up, hands raised, ready for a fight. I took a few steps forward.<p>

An invisible force grabbed my pipe, but I resisted. Sweat formed on my brow as I remembered one of my mom's old sayings: "Strength doesn't just come from your muscles; it also comes from your mind." I threw all of my mind and my body into it, pulling away from the direction the pipe was leading me.

Suddenly the bionic controlling the pipe released it, sending me tumbling backwards. Scarlet reached back to grab my arm and help me stay on my feet. Then she resumed her own fight. I gripped the pipe as four bionics began to close in on me.

"Just come with us peacefully, little girl," the one right in front of me hissed.

"Who are you calling little?" I retaliated. I swung the pipe out and knocked him off his feet, sending him sprawling. The others moved in quickly, but I dropped to my knees and rolled away, knocking over a few of them in the process.

When I stood up, another bionic began to approach me. "A metal pipe is your weapon of choice?" he asked, gesturing to the object in my hand.

"It's kind of all I've got right now," I said with a shrug. My hands shifted on the stick and my muscles were tense.

"I think it would be a good weapon," he said smoothly. "There's only one problem."

"What's that?"

"Metal conducts electricity."

My bionic brain finally understood the meaning of those words, but it understood them too late. Before I could drop my weapon, the lightning leapt from his fingers and made contact with the pipe. I screamed in agony and dropped to the ground.

"Aspen!" I heard Scarlet yell.

I lay on the ground for a few seconds with my eyes closed tight, trying to banish the pain. When I looked up, the bionic soldier was above me, a smirk plastered on his face. Turning my head, I could see some of the other soldiers detaining Scarlet. She twisted left and right, but her efforts were futile.

The two of us were forced onto our hands and knees. The soldiers held us tight and moved behind us. For a few seconds I wondered what was going on. Why weren't they dragging us away? My question was answered when another figure came around the corner.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Snake growled as he approached.

Scarlet immediately bowed her head, her black hair falling to cover her face. I caught a glimpse of the fear in her eyes, but there was also a steady determination. I myself chose to stare past Snake at the bionic soldiers guarding the end of the alley. I didn't make eye contact.

"A few rebels, hmm?" Snake continued. "You guys are getting careless. I would've thought you'd put up a better fight, but ah well. I guess you can't have it all."

"You certainly try," I heard Scarlet mutter under her breath.

Snake squinted and approached her. He stood directly in front of her, but she continued to stare down at the pavement. Then he gripped her chin and with great force jerked her head up, forcing her to make eye contact.

I could now see Scarlet's eyes clearly, and they were ablaze with fury. She stared defiantly into Snake's eyes, a slight sneer crawling up her face. He stared back with equal anger and ferocity. His gloved fingers dug into the skin on Scarlet's face, but I don't think she noticed. For several agonizing seconds they stood like that, unmoving. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Even the bionic soldiers roughly grasping my arms had tensed up. Everyone in the alley could feel it.

Finally Snake laughed. It started out slowly, then got deeper and louder until it echoed off the walls. Snake laughed as if he had just been told the funniest joke ever spoken. He released Scarlet's chin and stopped laughing abruptly, but there was still an amused twinkle in his eye. "Why," he drawled, his voice laced with faux merriment, "why, if it isn't my dear sister, Scarlet!" He laughed once, sharp and curt.

"I guess there's no point in denying it," Scarlet sighed. "And may I just say, you're as aggravating and antagonizing as the day I left."

"You mean the day you became a traitor!" Snake snapped. He grabbed a fistful of Scarlet's hair and yanked it. I saw her wince. "What's up with the black? Were you tired of being a brunette?"

"Nope, just tired of being your sister."

Snake smirked. "Oh, I always knew you weren't dead."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," he continued, "The Sovereign knew you weren't dead."

Scarlet continued her look of disbelief.

"Fine!" Snake said. "We had a _hunch _you weren't dead. Neither of us really should have been surprised. Frankly, I'm not. You always were a sneaky one."

"Sir?" one of the bionic soldiers behind us said. "What are we to do with the prisoners?"

"Quiet!" Snake barked. "We have . . . _special _methods for dealing with Defiance members."

"We're not Defiance members!" I said quickly—maybe a little _too _quickly.

"What the girl said!" Scarlet added, and it made me feel better knowing that she agreed with what I was doing.

"Right, of course you're not," Snake scoffed. He lifted Scarlet's arm, turned it over, and pushed up her sleeve to reveal a small smudge of paint on her skin. "Blue," he said as if that proved everything. "Only the Defiance paints these alleys. Only the Defiance uses blue to paint the large letter 'D' on these walls."

"I'm surprised you were perceptive enough to see that," Scarlet said, yanking her arm away. "But that doesn't prove anything."

"I believe it does. What does it matter, anyway? You're coming with us, and The Sovereign will find out the truth soon enough."

"You won't get anything out of us," I growled.

Snake flashed me a chilling grin. "Ah, yes, you're the girl I saved from getting crushed in the street. I knew you were the rebellious type; I should've just let you die." He glanced over at his sister. "Your friend has a sharp tongue in her head, Scarlet." He leaned in closer to me. "I wonder how hard it would be to cut it out." Instinctively I bit my tongue and closed my mouth.

"You so much as lay a hand on her and so help me, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Snake cut my mentor off. "It seems that you're still lacking respect. Maybe I should teach it to you."

Without warning, Snake pulled Scarlet to her feet and threw her against the wall. From his hand a glowing blade extended. He held it up to Scarlet's neck, but she didn't so much as flinch.

"I don't think I could learn respect from _you_," Scarlet spat.

"Let her go!" I shouted, attempting to wrestle away from the hold of my captors. Their hands dug deeper into my skin and their leathery gloves began to rub my arms raw.

"Oh, it's fine, kid," Scarlet assured me crisply. Despite the gleaming laser blade just inches from her face and the fact that her arms were pinned to the wall, my mentor seemed shockingly calm. "Snake could never beat me in a fight."

Scarlet brought her knee up into Snake's stomach. He gasped and released her, crouching over. "Get her!" he coughed.

The bionic soldiers jumped on Scarlet and slammed her face into the ground. She groaned. I tried to use the confusion to wrest free, but it was as useless as ever. These bionic soldiers were tough. I looked up into their cool eyes and remembered what Scarlet told me about the Triton App. These people weren't as bad as they seemed; they just didn't have a choice. I mentally shuddered.

When Scarlet was lifted from the ground, small bits of rock clung to her red face. She glared up at Snake as he said, "Put the BSI cuffs on her. On her friend, too."

"I get me, but is it really necessary for the girl?" Scarlet asked.

"She's a friend of yours," Snake replied levelly. "Who knows what you two are up to? Better safe than sorry."

The soldiers used the glowing blue cuffs to secure our hands behind our backs. I recognized the components as some that were capable of blocking bionics. "BSI" must have stood for "bionic signal interrupter." As soon as the cuffs went on my wrist, it was almost as if my brain emptied. I bit my lip. I had average intelligence without my bionics, but it still made me feel incredibly weak. My internal "radar" disappeared and I could no longer locate the positions of those around me without looking. Maybe it was for the best; now I couldn't slip up and accidentally use my bionics in front of the soldiers.

"What are you going to do with us now?" I asked, glowering at my enemy.

"I'm sure The Sovereign will have use for Scarlet," Snake replied. "As for you, little girl, I have some . . . _questions _to ask. But not here, of course. Perhaps you would like to pay a visit to my lovely home."

"Not interested," I growled.

"Admittedly the guest quarters aren't the most inviting but . . . oh, who am I kidding? You're my prisoner now, so hush up and do as I say."

"Never!"

Snake leaned back and laughed. "Scarlet, tell the girl that she'd best listen if she wants to keep her head."

"Be quiet, kid," Scarlet said crisply.

"But—" I tried to protest.

"Save your energy," Scarlet added. She looked at me. Her eyes expressed a subtle desperation. I began to understand. Scarlet was right; there was no getting out of it at the moment. I needed to wait for the perfect time to strike. I longed for the cuffs to be removed so I could strategize better.

The soldiers helped us to our feet and Snake smirked. He turned and motioned for the bionics to follow him. We headed out of the alley and into the busy streets of Restwater. We were shoved along like cattle going to the slaughter. Pedestrians stopped to stare at our strange procession.

"People of Restwater!" Snake said loudly to the onlookers. "Behold, perpetrators against The Sovereign's law. They will be dealt with appropriately. Perhaps the little one will even face execution later in the week. Those who disobey must be dealt with severely. Long live The Sovereign!"

The people nervously chorused the words and went about their business. I noticed some of them, especially young children, sneak glances at us. I looked down at my feet and kept walking.

Snake led us to a large black van on the side of the road. Some of the soldiers opened up the back and roughly tossed us inside. The doors slammed shut and I heard them lock. Someone climbed into the driver's seat, which was separated from the back by a thick metal wall, and soon we were on our way.

"You two are the epitome of sibling rivalry, by the way," I said, breaking the silence.

Scarlet shrugged and I saw her smile a bit. "You try living with him for fourteen years."

"No thank you."

"Careful, we may be prisoners, but we need to stay on his good side."

"Does he have a good side?"

"I'll get back to you on that."

"What do we do now? I mean, how are we getting out of this?"

"We just have to be patient," Scarlet said vaguely. "Stay patient, and stay alive. Not just physically . . . emotionally too."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I have a feeling I know what he's going to do to us. You, at the very least. He thinks we're part of the Defiance, and he's going to get every bit of information he can out of us. He'll do that in any way possible."

"I won't break," I promised her.

"Good. Keep that attitude."

The rest of the ride was silent. Adrenaline flooded my veins, and if my bionics weren't blocked I probably would have been glitching. It was hard to get comfortable with the cuffs around my wrists. Finally I got into an awkward position against the wall with my legs lying straight in front of me.

After ten minutes, the van pulled to a stop. The doors opened up and Snake and three more soldiers greeted us. They pulled us out and placed us on the path. I looked at my surroundings.

Directly in front of us was a large, dark building with no windows. Soldiers patrolled the ground in front of it and spotlights sat on the roof. To our right was a large hill, and at the top I could see The Sovereign's mansion. To the left and well beyond the windowless warehouse was another building.

"What's that?" I asked Scarlet, gesturing to the building with my shoulder.

"The Restwater Bionic Academy," she replied with no further explanation.

As I looked closer, I could see several people standing outside the "academy." They had their arms outstretched and were lifting various objects, so I could only assume they were trainees with the power of telekinesis.

The soldiers led us into the dark building, which by now I assumed was the prison. We went through several gates inside. Once we were deep into it, Snake gave new orders to his soldiers. Two of them headed down the hall with Scarlet. Snake and the remaining soldier began to lead me in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" I called, struggling against the grip of my captors for the umpteenth time that day. "No, wait, you can't separate us!"

"Just did," Snake growled.

I looked over my shoulder at Scarlet. She stared back at me, her gaze unwavering. With just a look she reminded me to be strong. Then she turned around and the soldiers led her around a corner.

After heading down a few more hallways, Snake and the other soldier stopped in front of a cell. The Sovereign's son held a card up to the electronic pad and typed in a sequence of numbers. The metal door swung open. The soldier removed my BSI cuffs before tossing me roughly to the ground in the cell. My intelligence came back and I sighed internally.

Snake waved the other bionic away as I got to my hands and knees and turned to face him. "I don't believe I ever caught your name," Snake said crisply, leaving the door open as he spoke.

I didn't reply, but instead stared at him with all the icy-coldness I could muster. I wanted to make him feel uncomfortable, but it didn't seem to be working. He just laughed.

"Fine, don't tell me," he said. "We'll find out soon enough who you are. Besides, that's not the important information right now. The most important information would be learning about your rebel organization. You _will _be telling me everything you know."

"In your dreams," I growled.

"We've got ways to crack you. You're not as strong as you think you are. I suggest you get some rest; I'll be back later."

Snake swung the door shut and the sound of the lock echoed through the small room. I groaned as the sound of his boots grew more and more distant.

There was a cot along the back wall of my cell. I got up and lay on it, staring at the ceiling. My mom's worst fear had just become a reality. I wondered how long it would be until she knew. I knew she would _not _be happy when she found out.

And what did_ I_ think of the situation? I felt surprisingly optimistic. Surely Scarlet and I could figure a way out of this. She was right; they had no solid evidence that we were Defiance members. As long as we didn't crack, we could get out of this alive. _Surely_.

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><p><strong>Dun dun DUN! :D Told you things would get worse. Looks like they managed to get captured by the bionics. Whoops! That can't be good.<strong>

**1. Will Scarlet or Aspen crack? Will they be able to get out alive? Or, as Scarlet put it, "emotionally alive"?**

**2. I'm trying to decide on a title for Chapter 20, and I thought I'd ask you guys for your opinion. The current title is "Is It Poison?" but I'm thinking of changing it to "X-31." (It's a serum. That's all you need to know right now.) Which do you guys think sounds cooler? (And yes, the first is a reference to Avalanche.)**

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><p><strong>PrincessSparkleKitty: Yes you were! Glad I could still shock you. ;) BIONIC CHICKENS! Oh my gosh, that needs to be a story. XD Oh, Adam! Thanks for reviewing!<strong>

**HawiianChick12: I do too! Did you see the reference?**

**LabGirl2001: Well, uh . . . D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R! XD They're captured now! The soldiers patrol the alleys, so I guess they got lucky this time.**

**TheMichiganWriter: Haha, yup! Blimey Cow is great, aren't they? I seriously love their videos. And their sarcasm is just AMAZING. XD Oh, I hope I don't find a cat in mine! My dog likes to lick shower water, though. (He's gross.) 'Kay, here's your kinda-late update! *smiles nervously***

**Maeph93: I'm not quite sure I understand. I went through the summary and didn't see what mistake you were referencing. Did you mean the appositive? Those aren't incorrect grammar. An example of appositive would be: "Ted Higgins, the owner of the grocery store." All it does is give you more information about Ted Higgins, but it's not wrong. And if that's not what you were talking about, could you explain what it was you were getting at? But yes, I make ****_many _****grammar mistakes all the time. XD I have quite a bit to learn about writing, and I appreciate all the help I can get, so thank you!**

**ShyMusic: Yes she is! I'm glad you like her now. :3 I like her too! Haha, yeah, sorry! Well, they're fun for ****_me_****. XD Oh, don't worry, Chase. I don't think there will be a cliffhanger-less chapter for . . . oh . . . about five chapters! You have been warned! XD Thanks so much!**

**PurpleNicole531: She's a pain, all right. Feed her to the beasts! I kid, I kid. Stella's so much fun to have around. :P Ooh, suggestion box! Good idea! I'll put it in the idea box. Have fun in the Pit of Doom, Brandon! :D Thanks for reviewing!**

**AllAmericanSlurp: (Chapter 17) Haha, thanks! It was fun. :) (Chapter 18) Haha, of course, of course; one must consider all the options. Well, I suppose we'll have to see! I'll respond soon! Thanks for reviewing!**

**ungerlover: (Chapter16) It's totally fine! I understand that you're busy. Sorry for updating so fast. XD Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!**

**tennisgirl77: Good! It's fine. :) Thanks so much! :D**

**ThatCrazyGal7580: Thank you so, so much! ^_^ Seriously, you had me smiling for, like, ten minutes straight. Hmm, she sounds interesting! I've never read that series. You were correct; Snake is back! Well, I'm so glad that you like my story so much! It really means a lot to me. Sorry it took so long for me to update! Life and stuff. :/ Thanks again for your encouraging words! :D**

**Emily Tanner: Wow . . . so I'm guessing you don't like your brother? XD**

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><p><strong>So . . . I think that's all. Hmm, it's weird to think of WDF as AU now. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, though. And like I said, all the history about WDF <strong>**_will _****be explained ****_someday_****. You'll learn about The Sovereign and how he rose to power, and how the Defiance was formed. But be patient!**

**I think that's all for tonight. Thanks again for reading, everyone! See you soon for Chapter 20: Is It Poison? ****_or _****Chapter 20: X-31. Bye!**


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